To Love & New Beginnings
by Tracy Diane Miller
Summary: The sequel to "Mirror Image". Gary Hobson never expected to be transported to 1946 River Run, Ohio. He never expected to meet Jeff Metcalf, his mirror image, nor for Jeff to be sent to the future.
1. Default Chapter

To Love & New Beginnings 

Gary Hobson never expected to be transported to 1946 River Run, Ohio. He never expected to meet Jeff Metcalf, his mirror image, nor for Jeff to be sent to the future. But mostly, Gary never expected to fall hopelessly in love with Ginger Szabo, Jeff's girl. But he did. Now back in Chicago in his own time period, Gary is nursing a broken heart. Destiny dealt him a cruel blow- to give love and then to snatch it away. Trying to pick up the pieces of his life, Gary resigned himself to a life void of love. His destiny, it seemed, was tied to tomorrow's newspaper today and saving lives. Not love. However, Gary was about to discover that true love would enter his life. A routine save introduces Gary to his love. His destiny would be linked to an unexpected member of the Metcalf family.

This story is the sequel to Mirror Image. The title was inspired by the toast that Gary made to Ginger during their magical night at the Roadhouse. Special thanks to Jennifer at the Homefrontstories list who suggested the idea of Jeff and Ginger's lookalike granddaughter. Her suggestion has, hopefully, enabled me to weave an interesting saga.

Jennifer Szabo Metcalf, Virginia Chandler, Adam Torrance, and Megan Connor are my creations. All other characters belong to their creators. No copyright infringement intended. No profit is being made.

Author: Tracy Diane Miller

Chapter One

Several weeks had passed since Gary returned from his adventure in River Run. Unfortunately, time had not healed his pain. Every morning, he received tomorrow's paper and fulfilled his life saving ritual. Every night, he returned home to a cold and empty loft. Before bed, he stared at the bracelet he had lovingly given to Ginger, the now chilling inscription having the opposite effect of burning a hole directly to his soul: "With your lips to mine, a rhapsody divine. You make my heart sing."

Why don't you throw that thing away? Don't you know that it destroys more of you every time you look at it? The inner voice questioned.

But Gary couldn't throw the bracelet away. Seeing the bracelet every night was his self-imposed punishment for stupidly surrendering his heart.

Even sleeping became a painful endeavor. A recurring dream tormented his fragile psyche. In his dream, he saw Ginger the night he gave her the bracelet at the Roadhouse. They danced to the Gershwin song. But when the song ended, Ginger walked away into Jeff's waiting arms. Gary awoke in a cold sweat.

Marissa, as always, continued to be a great friend. Gary knew that she wanted to help him, but he couldn't let her in. He didn't think that he could survive her eternal optimism assuring him "that everything would be okay. Just have faith." Faith was something he didn't have. Just pain.

Marissa told him about Jeff's experiences in Chicago. How Jeff had been taken hostage in a bank by a bomb toting terrorist and how he had almost died in an abandoned building collapse. She had asked for Crumb's help, and miraculously, Crumb had been able to save Jeff's life minutes before the structure collapsed.

A few days ago, Gary had also been questioned by the police as to how he knew about the terrorist in the first place. In typical Gary fashion, he maintained that he got these "feelings." "The guy's a nut case" Gary heard one of the officers say as he left the police station. Nut case. They were right. He was a nut case. A crazy nut who had stupidly allowed his heart to replace his common sense.

"Meow." Thump.

"I'm coming. I'm coming."

Gary wasn't anxious to start this day. It was Valentine's Day. When he was married, he loved Valentine's Day. He enjoyed thinking up little romantic surprises for Marcia. At the time, he thought that she enjoyed his surprises too. He would leave romantic poems that he had written for her in her brief case so she would have something special to look at when the frustrations of the law overwhelmed her or he would call her at work to sing love songs. Looking back on those years, Gary realized that his romantic surprises didn't excite Marcia. She wanted a grizzly bear not a teddy bear. Gary's docile demeanor didn't exactly complement Marcia shark like style. He learned that lesson the hard way.

"Meow."

"Hang on, will ya!"

Gary opened the front door. He found the cat in its usual position sitting on top of the paper.

"Happy Valentine's Day." Gary moved the cat off of the paper. The cat sat out in the hallway for a moment. " You bring me anything else besides for this?" Gary asked waving the paper in the air. He remembered a Valentine's Day a few years ago when he had received a strange floral arrangement. Marissa and Erica had no idea who had sent him the gift. Gary thought at the time that maybe the cat had sent the gift until he dismissed this notion as absurd.

"Meow." The cat ran into Gary's apartment.

Gary closed the door and began scanning the headlines. Great slip and fall, fight at a department store over a bathing suit, some bad chicken served at a restaurant (this story sent shivers through him as he recalled a similar incident when Marcia was engaged to Pritchard). All the stories were not occurring until later in the day. However, Gary's eyes spied one story that was happening at 8:00 a.m., a mere hour from now. Gary read the story: "A young actress was injured on a sound stage when an over head light fell on her. The actress is a cast member of the new and unnamed romantic comedy that was filming a special Valentine's Day episode. She was taken to Columbia General Hospital in serious condition. Her name is being withheld until family members can be notified."

"An actress. Great." Gary said. He remembered the last time he had to save an actress from a falling light. On that occasion, he ended up in a Shakespearean play with Crumb! Romantic comedies were so lame. What happened to the quality television programming that used to exist on Saturday nights? Gary mumbled to himself. A save is a save regardless of the potential victim's profession, the inner voice reminded.

Gary quickly showered and dressed. Jotting down the studio's address and grabbing his leather jacket, he left the loft.

"Good morning, Marissa."

"Good morning, Gary. Happy Valentine's Day."

"Same to you." Gary replied.

Marissa was sitting at one of the tables in the bar drinking orange juice. "What's in the paper today?"

"The usual- slip and fall, fight at a department store, bad chicken at a restaurant. Oh yeah, I have to prevent a falling light on a set from injuring an actress. Anyway, I got to run. Talk to you later." Gary said before hurrying out the front door.

Marissa sighed. Gary was putting up such a brave front for her benefit. But she knew that he was still hurting. She hadn't been able to get him to confide in her about Ginger. When she asked him about his time in River Run, he jokingly said that "the past is a great place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there." Marissa vowed to somehow find a way to help her troubled friend.

Gary finally arrived at the front door to the studio. The morning traffic had been unusually heavy forcing his cab to stall several times. He didn't have much time.

Gary gave the security guard a lie about being an extra and was surprisingly admitted on the set. He checked the paper. Gary looked up in time to see the light dangling precariously from the ceiling. A young actress stood directly below the light, her back towards Gary.

"Hey! Get out of the way!" Gary yelled. He pushed the young actress aside as the light came crashing below. Both Gary and the young actress landed face down on the floor.

"Are you okay?" Gary asked helping the young actress off of the floor. Both were initially speechless. The strawberry blonde hair and the face were unmistakable.

"Oh my God. You look just like…." The young actress said as she saw the face of her rescuer.

Gary was in shock. Spooked, he managed to say, "I-I'm glad you're okay" before rushing towards the door.

"Wait." The young actress called to the departing stranger.

"Jennifer, are you okay?" The director asked.

"Fine." But Jennifer Szabo Metcalf wasn't fine. She had received the shock of her life from the hero who had just saved her. The hero was the mirror image of her grandfather as a young man.

Outside the studio, Gary had yet to recover from the shock of seeing the young actress. "Ginger. It couldn't be." He whispered.

Chapter Two 

Outside the studio, Gary couldn't stop shaking. He willed his body to calm down, but that didn't seem to work. Calm down. Deep breath. You're okay. But was he? Was he okay? Or, had the stress of the past few weeks finally driven him over the edge. Would every young woman he rescued from now on have Ginger's face?

Or, maybe……no, it couldn't be, could it? What if the cat had somehow transported Ginger to the future to be with him? Gary felt his heart racing just considering the possibility. It wouldn't be that far fetched. After almost five years, Gary learned to expect anything from his feline friend. Ginger knew that he was from Chicago, but she didn't know anything else about him. She didn't know where he lived. She would have had a difficult time finding him. Maybe that's why the paper arranged for him to rescue her- so they could find each other again!

A hopeful smile crossed Gary's face. At that moment, he felt happier than he had felt in weeks. However, his bliss was fleeting when the wisdom of his inner voice intruded upon his tranquillity. This is why you get yourself into trouble, Hobson. You don't use your head. Didn't Ginger tell you that she and Jeff have a bond, that they are connected? Wasn't Jeff returned to the past so he could be reunited with his soul mate? Of course he was! The inner voice's arguments were persuasive.

But what if Ginger had been sent to the future so they could have one last chance to talk? Gary challenged his subconscious. He never got the chance to really talk with her after she found out the truth about him. She had returned his bracelet and left the attic. Thereafter, he had that confrontation with Hank in the living room before he left the Metcalf house. Jeff had found him in the park and they were able to clear the air. But the last time he saw Ginger was at the house. He never got the chance to say a proper goodbye. If Ginger's time in Chicago was to be limited just as his time in River Run had been limited, Gary wanted these moments with her. He could live a life time on a few stolen moments.

"Hobson." Gary's reverie was broken by the sound of a familiar voice. He turned around and saw Crumb approaching.

Oh Boy.

"Hobson, what are you doing here?" Crumb asked suspiciously. Crumb was surprised to see Gary standing by the studio door.

"I-I was….I needed to…I….what are you doing here, Crumb? Don't tell me that you resumed your acting career."

"Geez, no. I was hired as backup security by the studio. There are a lot of nuts out there, Hobson. The studio wanted to make sure that some whacko fan didn't harm the actors during the live taping." Crumb explained. "Now, it's your turn. You never told me why you are here."

"I was…..trying to get tickets to see a taping." Gary lied. He rubbed his hand across the back of his neck.

"Really." Crumb said. After years as a cop, Crumb could read people very well. From Gary's nervous demeanor, Crumb knew that he was hiding something.

Just then, the director came outside the studio. He was on his way to grab a bagel. Spotting Gary, the director said "That was great what you did in there. If you hadn't arrived when you did, we could have lost one of our most promising cast members. Thank you." The director said, extending his hand to Gary.

"You're welcome." Gary replied, accepting the handshake.

The director disappeared down the street to a deli.

"Here to get tickets for the show, huh?"

"Well, if you must know, I have this friend who worked on the construction of the set. He was concerned that something might be wrong with the over head lights. He couldn't come down here so as a friend, I came down to check things out. One of the lights fell from the ceiling." Gary said.

"So, who did you save?" Crumb inquired.

"A young actress. A very pretty strawberry blonde." Gary responded. He blushed slightly.

Crumb laughed.

"What's so funny?" Gary asked defensively.

"You. You're acting like a schoolboy. You like her, don't you?" Crumb teased.

"No. No, I don't like her." Gary protested. "I don't even know who she is." Gary lied.

"I could get you back inside to meet her." Crumb offered.

Gary's heart raced. He wanted to go back inside. He wanted that more than anything. But, a sudden wave of panic gripped him. He didn't understand why, but he was scared. He couldn't go back inside. Not now.

"I-I can't. I have to….," Gary looked at his watch, "I'm late for an appointment." Gary said, hurrying down the street.

A few seconds later, Jennifer came outside the studio. She saw her departing hero make his way down the street.

"Excuse me. Do you know that guy? He saved my life earlier and I never got the chance to thank him." Jennifer asked Crumb.

"His name is Gary Hobson. He owns a bar called McGinty's." Crumb said before going inside the studio.

"Gary Hobson." Jennifer repeated. "Well, Gary Hobson, it looks like I will be seeing you at McGinty's." Jennifer said to herself. Jennifer planned to go to McGinty's today after filming was completed. It wasn't just because Gary resembled the grandfather she adored or even that he had saved her life. There was something more. Something she didn't understand. Jennifer felt a powerful connection to Gary. The moment she looked into those beautiful mud green eyes, feelings were triggered. Feelings that scared and excited her at the same time.

Chapter Three

Lost in his thoughts, Gary headed back to McGinty's. This day had been a difficult one for him. He couldn't get Ginger out of his mind. And seeing that actress whom he still believed was Ginger hadn't helped matters. Consequently, he spent most of the day dealing with a myriad of feelings: hope, confusion, anxiety, and fear. These feelings caused him to become distracted as he went through his saves. Distraction was something he couldn't afford. For a guy who gets tomorrow's newspaper today and who is given the responsibility of preventing serious injury or saving lives, distraction could be deadly. He needed to remain focused. Otherwise, he could be putting his life or the lives of others in serious jeopardy.

Somehow he managed to complete his saves. But it hadn't been easy. He almost didn't make it in time to prevent the slip and fall. And dealing with that chef in the restaurant who was about to serve bad chicken was another challenge. God, chefs could be so temperamental. The guy nearly had him arrested. He definitely wasn't in the mood to spend a night or more in jail for being a public disturbance. However, what Gary went through preventing the fight in the department store could have been a sitcom. Except for him, it was no laughing matter. He located the two women in a tug of war over the most hideous looking bathing suit he had ever seen. The colors on the bathing suit looked as if they had been haphazardly thrown onto the fabric. The result: a design which appeared like something Picasso created while on Prozac!

Further, the bathing suit was about two sizes too small for both women with their ample figures. Gary tried to convince the women that an article of clothing wasn't worth possible injury. He grabbed hold of the bathing suit. Soon he found himself a human wishbone as the women yanked him back and forth trying to retrieve the bathing suit. After several minutes of this torture, one woman decided that she didn't want the bathing suit. She found him more desirable. Oh Boy. He barely made it out of there in one piece. As it were the aggressive woman rewarded him with a pinch on the backside.

Thank God, he was finally home. As Gary walked into McGinty's, all he wanted was a hot shower. He also wanted to sleep. He prayed that his subconscious would allow him the rest without nightmares.

As he walked towards the office, a familiar voice called his name.

"Gary."

Gary turned around to find Marcia. Great. He definitely didn't feel like dealing with his ex-wife. Not today.

"What are you doing here, Marcia?" Gary said in an extremely unfriendly tone. "Did you come here to tell me that you are getting married again?" Gary added sarcastically.

"Of course not. Can we talk somewhere privately?" Marcia asked.

Reluctantly, Gary ushered Marcia into the office. He closed the door behind them.

"What do you want, Marcia?" Gary sat down at the desk. Marcia stood facing him a short distance away.

Marcia was confused. A few weeks ago, Gary had been nice to her. Why was he so hostile now?

"You hadn't called me about the trust. You had been eager to get the wheels in motion. We need to sit down and discuss the terms. I also need your signature on some paperwork." Marcia explained.

"The trust?" Gary asked. A blank expression crossed his face.

"The trust you wanted to set up for Virginia's children." Marcia reminded.

Great. Must be another one of Jeff Metcalf's legacies. Gary wryly thought. Yesterday, he found cowboy attire, two diamond bracelets, and a gold pocket watch in the closet in his loft. Apparently, Jeff's use of the paper hadn't been as noble as he had been lead to believe.

Further, whomever this Virginia woman was she must have been important to Jeff for him to have wanted to leave money for her children. Suddenly, Gary became very angry. Jeff probably was involved with this woman. Yet, he told Ginger how much he missed her when he was trapped in the future. Funny how Jeff never mentioned Virginia. How convenient that he left out the tidbit about dating another woman!

Marcia noticed Gary's far away expression. "Gary?"

"Yeah? Sure, the trust …paperwork. Just mail me whatever you need me to sign." Gary instructed.

"We really need to sit down in my office to discuss the particulars." Marcia emphasized.

Gary saw the game that Marcia was playing and he didn't like it. Marcia may be a star litigator, but he wasn't about to become one of her pawns.

"You can bring the papers and we'll talk here." Gary said adamantly.

"Whatever works best for you, Gary." Marcia said walking towards the door. "By the way, Happy Valentine's Day. Do you know that I saved all those poems you had written for me? Sometimes, I look at….."

Gary rose from the chair and walked over to where Marcia was standing.

"What is this, Marcia? What kind of game are you playing?" Gary asked angrily.

"I'm not playing a game, Gary. If you give me a chance…"

"Like you gave me a chance? Do you have any idea how much I loved you? I planned a wonderful surprise for our anniversary. Well, I guess I was the one who got the surprise, huh? Locks changed and a suitcase tossed in my face. Tell me Marcia, what did I do so terrible to deserve that? I never knew. You wouldn't even talk to me and try to work out our problems. So don't talk to me now about giving you a chance." Gary seethed. Five years of pent up emotions had boiled to the surface. Coupled with his heartache over Ginger, Gary was a time bomb. Intense pain had set off the bomb.

"Gary."

"I shouldn't blame you. I was the fool. All the signs were there, but I missed them. Every time I brought up starting a family, you'd give me some excuse. First, you wanted to wait until you got through law school. Next, you wanted to wait until you got the job at the law firm. Then, you wanted to wait until you made partner. But the truth is that you never wanted children, at least not with me."

"Gary, I was a different person then. We both were. I've changed."

"Well, I have too. Now, are we finished?" Gary demanded.

Marcia conceded that she lost this battle. But the stakes were just raised. She hadn't become one of the best lawyers in Chicago by giving up on a tough fight.

"Yes, Gary. We're finished." Marcia said walking towards the door. "Gary, I'm sorry." She added before leaving.

Sighing, Gary sat back down at the desk. He closed his eyes.

"Gary Hobson?"

Gary opened his eyes. Jennifer stood in the doorway. Their eyes locked. Gary tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come. Silence. Time stood still.

Chapter Four 

"Gary Hobson?" Jennifer repeated as she entered the office. The uncertainty in the woman's voice as she said his name finally registered with Gary that she couldn't be Ginger. But who was she?

"Ye-Yes, I-I'm Gary." Gary stuttered.

Gary rose from his seat and walked over to where Jennifer was standing. He shook her hand. The electrical current both of them felt was incredible.

Jennifer smiled. This man was adorable-his mud green eyes with their bewildered expression and the stuttering. She didn't know why he was so nervous, but she found this trait endearing. He seemed very shy. Grandmom had told her that one of the things she loved about Granddad was his shyness. She always said that he was like this wonderful little boy in a man's body.

This Gary Hobson is definitely someone special. He's a keeper. You should ask him out on a date, Jennifer's inner voice encouraged.

Jennifer tried to ignore her subconscious. She didn't want Gary to think that she was too forward. She didn't want to scare him off. Besides, a guy like this must have someone already, Jennifer reasoned.

"I'm Jennifer Metcalf. I wanted to thank you for saving my life this morning."

"You're wel…Metcalf?"

"Yes. Are you a sports fan, Mr. Hobson?"

"It's Gary."

"Are you a sports fan, Gary?"

"Yes."

"Then you must have heard of my grandfather, Jeff Metcalf. He was a right fielder with the Cleveland Indians and the greatest baseball player who ever lived." Jennifer beamed.

Oh boy. This woman was Jeff's granddaughter.

"Yes. I've heard of your grandfather. He definitely was a star baseball player." Gary replied simply. "And your grandmother?" Gary probed.

"Virginia Szabo Metcalf. Grandmom always went by the name Ginger. She thought it sounded more colorful. Grandmom wanted to be an actress. She ended up as a radio personality. She was the Lemo Tomato Juice Girl before she got her own cooking show on television." Jennifer said proudly.

Gary smiled. Suddenly, a realization hit him, followed by enormous fear. Was Ginger still alive? Gary knew that Jeff and Ginger would be in their 70's now. As much as it hurt him to know that they had been together, the thought that she could be dead tore him apart. The vibrant, beautiful young woman he had spent time with only a few weeks ago, she couldn't be dead. Please God, let her still be alive, Gary prayed.

Jennifer saw Gary's distressed expression. "Is something wrong, Gary?"

"No. I'm fine." Gary lied. "Tell me more about your grandparents."

"They are wonderful. They have been married for over fifty years and they still kiss and hold hands like teenagers. They have a real storybook marriage. To have that kind of long lasting love is rare these days. And you wouldn't believe how active they both still are. Granddad stop playing professional baseball years ago, but he loves coaching little league. And the children love him. Grandmom teaches cooking classes part time at the community college."

Thank God, she's still alive!

"How long have you been in Chicago?" Gary asked.

" I arrived a little over a week ago. Before then, I was in LA auditioning. I was promised a small role in a movie, but I learned that the director was more interested in getting me on the casting couch than in front of the camera. Grandmom said that the same thing happened to her once. She and Granddad won a dance contest and a screen test in Hollywood. They didn't win a movie role, but Grandmom decided to stay on in Hollywood hoping to get her big break. Granddad was livid. Anyway, Grandmom tells this story how she was offered the lead in a movie, but it turned out to be phony baloney because when she and the director were rehearsing a scene, he ended up touching her on an inappropriate part of her body. Grandmom rammed her knee into his….well, let's just say he got the point that she wasn't that kind of girl." Jennifer laughed.

Jennifer couldn't understand why she was telling Gary so much about her family, but she felt so comfortable talking with him. It just felt right.

The young woman in front of him amazed Gary. The animated style in which she spoke, waving her hands to make a point, and how she slurred her words- it was Ginger all over again. The attraction Gary felt towards Jennifer was undeniable. What was happening to him? Maybe he was feeling this way because he knew that she was a part of Ginger. Or, maybe because there was something else about this woman…something unique and wonderful.

"I'm sorry to talk so much. It's a bad habit, I guess." Jennifer apologized.

"No, no don't apologize. I like hearing you talk. I mean, what you are saying is interesting." Gary corrected himself. "What about your parents?"

"My Dad's name is Jeff, too. But their name is about the only thing that he and Granddad share. Dad is a lawyer. He can be very uptight sometimes. You know how lawyers are."

"Only too well." Gary said.

"My mom, Jessica, is a doctor. My parents hate it that I am an actress. They keep asking me when I'm going to get a real profession and stop playing around. The only people I can talk to about my acting are my grandparents and my aunt Marissa."

Gary knew that Marissa would be touched. Jeff had named his daughter after her. She must have meant a lot to him during the brief time he spent in Chicago.

"And what does your Aunt Marissa do?"

"She's a psychologist. She's also a great listener and the best friend anyone could have."

Just like her namesake, Gary thought to himself.

"I'm sorry, I never offered you anything. Would you like some coffee?" Gary belatedly asked.

"No, thank you. I should be leaving." Jennifer said. "I was wondering, would you like to have dinner sometimes? I mean, I figured that my life is at least worth a good meal, my treat." Jennifer laughed.

"That's nice of you, but I really shouldn't." Gary said.

"Oh. It is just dinner. I'm sure your wife or girlfriend wouldn't mind." Jennifer replied.

"I'm not involved with anyone. "

"Really?" Jennifer hoped that Gary couldn't hear the excitement in her voice. "Then why can't we go out to dinner?" Jennifer asked.

I just don't think that it is a good idea." Gary insisted.

I see." Jennifer said disappointedly. "Well, thanks again for helping me." Jennifer kissed Gary lightly on the cheek. A chill ran through his body.

"Maybe I'll see you again, Gary."

"Maybe."

Jennifer left the office.

Gary walked back over to the desk and sat down. He wasn't sure what just happened, but he knew that seeing Jennifer again would only cause him more heartache. She wasn't Ginger and he couldn't be sure that he wouldn't be using her as a substitute for Ginger. She deserved better than that. He deserved better than that. But still, Gary wondered what reason the paper would have for bringing Jennifer into his life.

Jennifer paused briefly outside McGinty's. She had never felt like this before about any man. She looked at the bar, a determined expression crossing her face. "We will see each other again, Gary. Count on it. I'm not giving up on you so easily." Smiling, Jennifer walked down the street. In her mind, was brewing a plan for capturing Gary's heart.

Chapter Five 

The hot shower had not relaxed Gary as much as he had hoped. And forget about sleeping. Gary tried lying down on the bed and closing his eyes, but his mind was too cluttered. Consequently, slumber refused to visit.

Gary sat up on the bed. He spied the bracelet on the nightstand. He reached over, grabbed the bracelet, and once again read the now painful inscription: "With your lips mine, a rhapsody divine. You make my heart sing." Gary sighed. Why couldn't he get Ginger out of his mind or from his heart?

Seeing Marcia only made his heartache over Ginger more poignant. Marcia was a tangible reminder of his failure as a husband. Gary hadn't planned for the confrontation with her down stairs. Things just spiraled out of control. But it felt good to finally tell her how much she had hurt him. He needed that closure.

If it weren't for Jeff, he would have never had to see Marcia again. He could sever all ties to his ex-wife. Of all the lawyers in Chicago, what possessed Jeff to choose Marcia? And this Virginia woman, how could Jeff have even looked at another woman when he knew that Ginger loved him back home? Jeff didn't deserve Ginger's love. Gary felt very angry towards Jeff. Jeff wanted everyone to believe that he was this innocent, lost lamb trapped in the brutal future when all along he was this Casanova who had adapted quite well to the duplicity of the 21st century.

And then there was Jennifer. God, why couldn't he stop thinking about her? Much as he tried to convince himself that any attraction he felt towards Jennifer was because of her resemblance to Ginger, Gary couldn't shake the feeling that there was something else about her that had him so enchanted. Nor could he shake the feeling that the paper had brought them together for a reason.

"Gary?" The knock on the door and the sound of Marissa's voice jolted him from his thoughts.

Gary proceeded to the door. He opened it and found Marissa standing there with a serious expression on her face.

"Gary, we need to talk." Marissa said entering the loft. She walked over and sat down on the couch.

Gary closed the door. "Marissa, I really don't feel like talking right now."

"Well, we are going to talk." Marissa's tone was uncharacteristically forceful. "I didn't want to pressure you when you first came back. I knew that you needed time. But, you've had enough time, Gary. You can't expect to heal until you get these feelings out."

Gary sat down next to Marissa on the couch. "I appreciate your concern, Marissa. But I'm fine."

"You're not fine, Gary. I've known you long enough to know that you are hurting. You opened up your heart and it got trampled upon," Marissa paused briefly before continuing, " I know about Ginger."

Gary hadn't told Marissa about Ginger so hearing Marissa say her name shocked him. However, Gary suspected that Jeff told her about Ginger along with his suspicions that Gary had fallen in love with his fiancée.

"I suppose that you are going to tell me to have faith. That things happen for a reason." Gary said skeptically.

"They do." Marissa replied.

"Then tell me Marissa, why Jeff is able to have a girl like Ginger when he didn't respect their love enough not to become involved with another woman while he was here and Ginger was waiting for him back home? You know who I had to deal with today? Marcia. It seems that Jeff wasn't just using the paper to save lives. It seems that he made money off the paper and decided to give that money to his girlfriend. Some woman named Virginia. Planned to set up a trust for her children. Probably felt guilty for cheating on Ginger and figured that he could pay the woman off which would make it easier when he ended their relationship." Gary accused.

"Jeff felt guilty, but not for the reasons you are thinking. When he first got the paper, he was scared. He was scared after all the stories you told him about your experiences. He didn't think that he could handle the responsibility. So he misused the paper. He went to the racetrack and won a lot of money. Later, he read in the paper that a car hit Virginia's daughter. He knew that he could have prevented that accident. The guilt almost destroyed him. But he more than made up for his mistake. He saved those hostages in the bank and that teen from the building collapse. Jeff felt that the money from the race track wasn't really his and that it could be used to benefit Virginia's children." Marissa explained.

A silence.

"The problem here isn't Jeff Metcalf. The problem is Gary Hobson. I know that Marcia hurt you. I know that Ginger hurt you. But moping around feeling sorry for yourself isn't going to do anything but make you feel more miserable. There's a reason why this all happened. You don't have to know why. You just have to learn from the experience and move on. If you shut out love because you are afraid of being hurt or if you continue to hold on to the memory of a woman you can't have, then you'll miss out when that special woman enters your life. Because I know that she is out there for you, Gary."

Another silence.

"I met their granddaughter today, Marissa."

"Whose granddaughter?"

"Jeff and Ginger's. Her name is Jennifer. She's an actress. The paper had me save her from a falling overhead light in the studio. She stopped here to thank me. She is so much like Ginger. But there's something else about her. She is so…." Gary stopped mid-sentence. He really couldn't find the right words to describe Jennifer.

"Does she know what happened between you and her grandparents?"

"They never told her about me. They probably wanted to forget about me after all the trouble I caused." Gary said sadly.

"I'm sure that's not true, Gary. It was probably because they didn't know how to tell her that there was a guy from the future who got stuck in the past. And that guy looked exactly like her grandfather." A thought occurred to Marissa. "Did Jeff and Ginger even know that you made it back home?"

"I don't know. Maybe not. The last time I saw Jeff was in a park. Jeff's brother wasn't too happy with me for pretending to be Jeff while Jeff was here. He wanted me out of the house and out of their lives. So I left. Jeff found me in the park. Jeff wanted me to return to his house. He said that he didn't want me to be alone. But after everything that happened, I knew that I couldn't stay in River Run. I decided to go someplace else to start over."

"Are you going to tell Jennifer the truth?" Marissa asked.

"No. Besides, I don't plan to see her again."

"Why not? If you like her, you should give things a chance." Marissa encouraged.

"Who says I like her?" Gary asked defensively.

"Gary."

"Well, even if I did like her a little bit, how could I be sure that I wasn't with her just because she looks like Ginger? How would I know whether I cared about her just for herself?" Gary asked.

"Your heart will know." Marissa replied sagely. Marissa rose from the couch. "I should be going." Marissa walked towards the door.

"Trust your heart, Gary." Marissa said before leaving.

That night, Gary had an incredible dream, a dream that was even more telling of the future than tomorrow's newspaper today.

Chapter Six 

The Purl Roadhouse had been transformed into a romantic fantasyland. All the tables had been removed except for one small table in the center. A white linen tablecloth with small red hearts covered the table. An ice bucket with champagne sat on the table along with a single, red rose.

Gary looked elegant in his tuxedo. Soon, Ginger entered the Roadhouse. They danced to Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue." But when the song ended, Ginger walked towards the door instead of back to the table with Gary.

"Don't go." Gary cried out desperately.

"I have to." Ginger responded. Ginger left the Roadhouse, but she returned a few minutes later with another young woman who was her mirror image.

"Gary, this is Jennifer, my granddaughter." Ginger told a shocked Gary.

"But you can't have a granddaughter. You are still young." Gary replied.

Ginger laughed. "Gary, Jennifer is your destiny. You need to let me go. You need to open up your heart to love and new beginnings."

"Good morning, Chicago. It's 6:30 and…." Gary's hand silenced the radio.

"A dream. It was just a dream." Gary mumbled to himself.

"Meow." Thump.

Gary's heart was racing as he threw off the bed covers and proceeded to the door.

Gary opened the door. As expected, the cat was sitting on top of the paper.

"I don't get it. I feed you. I put a roof over your head and you're still messing up my life. Why did you send me to the past? And why bring Jennifer into my life? What are you trying to do to me, huh?"

"Meow."

The cat just stared back at Gary. A few moments later, the cat jumped off the paper and ran into Gary's apartment.

Gary shook his head. He bent over, picked up the paper, and closed the door.

The phone rang. Gary decided to let the answering machine pick up.

"Hello, Gary. It's Marcia." The early morning caller announced. " Sorry to call so early. But I guess if you aren't picking up, you are already out. I just wanted to apologize again for yesterday. I was hoping that we could be friends. Anyway, if you had some time today, I wanted to stop over to bring those papers about the trust. Call me."

"Friends? Is she kidding?" Gary said to the cat.

"Meow."

"What am I talking to you for? Okay, let's see," Gary opened the paper and began scanning the headlines, "Little Girl Falls Down Sewer." Gary read the article. It seemed that the child fell head first down a sewer. The child, 8, was trying to catch her doll which had also fallen down the sewer. Great. He had to prevent the doll from falling down the sewer or else he would be sewer exploring himself for the child. The story wasn't occurring until 3:00 p.m. At least he had most of the day before he had to deal with this story.

Gary flipped through the pages. Could it be? With the exception of that one story, would he actually have most of the day off?

His question was answered in the negative when he found a story on page 10 requiring his attention: "Fire Ends Fashion Show." Gary read the story: "Shortly before noon, a fire broke out in the Grand Ballroom of the Chicago Hilton Hotel. The fire occurred during a fashion show. The runway models were unveiling the spring line of a promising new designer. An investigation is currently under way. However, preliminary reports suggest that the fire may have started because of faulty electrical outlets, which caused sparks to catch on to the curtains on the stage. Several models suffered burns and smoke inhalation."

Gary remembered another occasion when he had to prevent models from being injured by a fire. During that time, estranged spouses Francesca and Addison Preston, founders of Donna Romantica Lingerie, were putting on rival fashion shows when a fire broke out. Gary was able to put out the fire. Little Henry Paget experienced his first taste of puppy love with Dominique Preston. Gary, however, experienced the lunacy of Dominique's feuding parents. At least, he received a thank you kiss from the grateful lingerie model he had saved.

"One of the few people who knew how to say thank you." Gary recalled, a rare smile crossing his face.

"Meow."

"What?"

"Well, I guess I should get this over with. Gary picked up the phone and dialed a number.

"Hello. This is Gary Hobson. I would like to speak to Marcia Roberts, please."

Marissa, as usual, was busy in the office dealing with paper work. Marissa's value as a friend was undeniable. But Gary often took for granted her value as a partner. Marissa handled vendor, customer, and employee problems while Gary was out saving lives. Largely because of Marissa's efforts, McGinty's continued as a thriving business.

"Good morning, Marissa." Gary greeted as he entered the office.

"Good morning, Gary. What's in the paper today?"

"I have to prevent a fire at a fashion show and a child from falling down a sewer. Fortunately, the first story doesn't occur until almost noon so I have some time. I asked Marcia over this morning. The sooner I get this trust thing taken care of, the sooner I can have Marcia out of my life for good."

Gary spent the next few hours helping Marissa with the paper work. It actually felt good for Gary to focus his attention on mundane details because that kept his mind off Ginger….and Jennifer.

Gary and Marissa's concentration was interrupted by a knock on the office door.

"Gary." Marcia stood in the doorway.

"If you'll excuse me, I have something to take care of in the bar." Marissa said before leaving the office.

"I'm glad that you called. After yesterday, I wasn't sure that…"

"Did you bring the papers?" Gary asked. He had to deal with Marcia because of this trust. But nothing said that he had to be nice to her.

"Yes." Marcia replied.

Marcia spent the next hour explaining the terms of the trust. She told Gary that as he requested the donor's identity would remain anonymous.

Gary wasn't really paying attention. He just wanted his business with Marcia to be concluded.

"Any questions? Gary?"

"Huh? No. Where do I sign?"

Marcia showed Gary where his signature was required.

There was a knock on the office door. Both Gary and Marcia looked up from the papers. A deliveryman stood in the doorway with a huge bouquet of red roses. Gary walked over to the door.

"Gary Hobson. Sign here please."

After signing for the flowers, Gary took the bouquet over to the desk. Removing the card from the envelope, he read the note silently: " Dear Gary. Since you wouldn't allow me to thank your kindness with dinner, I was hoping that these flowers would brighten your day. Thank you for being such a wonderful person. Love, Jennifer."

Gary smiled.

"From an admirer?"

Gary put the card back in its envelope.

"Anything else?" Gary asked.

"No, that's everything." Marcia tried to maintain an unconcerned façade, but inside she was seething. How dare some woman send her husband flowers! Your ex-husband, the inner voice reminded. Not for long, Marcia vowed.

"I'll talk to you soon." Marcia said as she was leaving. She meant for her statement to alert Gary to the fact that he wasn't finished with her yet.

Marcia left the office.

Gary stared at the roses. For a moment, he considered going down to the studio and thanking Jennifer personally. But he quickly dismissed the idea. "I can't do this. I can't see her again." Gary told himself.

Don't forget the paper, the inner voice urged. Gary rushed out of the office and the bar.

The consultation with Marcia and slow traffic caused Gary to arrive at the Chicago Hilton Hotel with only a few minutes to spare. He quickly located the Grand Ballroom and hurried as fast as he could. Out of breath, Gary made it to the Grand Ballroom. The fashion show had already begun. Gary saw several models on the runway. He also saw a spark ignite the curtain. Chaos ensued as the flames traveled up the curtain and the models scurried to get out of the way. A tall brunette model lies dangerously close to the curtain. She had fallen during the panic. Gary rushed to save her. Grabbing a nearby fire extinguisher, he put out the fire. Gary helped the model off of the floor.

"Are you okay?" Gary asked the tall brunette.

"I'm fine. Gary, thank God. Thank you for saving me. I was hoping to see you again, but not under these circumstances. I didn't like how we left things between us. We should talk. There's a restaurant in the hotel. We can talk over lunch." Virginia Chandler insisted, grabbing Gary by the arm.

"But. I…" was all a dumbfounded Gary was able to say as the woman dragged him out of the ballroom. He had no idea who this woman was but she obviously knew him.

Chapter Seven 

Gary sat across the table from the tall brunette. Her intense gaze made him feel as though she were undressing him with her eyes. Suddenly, Gary felt very warm as he shifted uncomfortably in the chair. Oh Boy. How did he always manage to find himself in these situations? Gary made a mental note: He needed to have a long discussion with the cat. The feline's sense of humor in having the paper send him on these kinds of saves wasn't funny. Not funny at all.

Virginia sipped her mineral water. "That was a close call for me in there. You seem to always come to my family's rescue. The boys told me what you did for Jake. How did you know?"

Wait a minute….the boys? Suddenly, Gary realized who this woman was- she must be Virginia. Jeff's Virginia, the woman for whom Jeff wanted to establish the trust . Thanks a lot Jeff Metcalf, Gary thought to himself. How was he going to get out of this mess?

"I just happened to be in the right place at the right time." Gary said, responding to Virginia's question.

"You know Jake and Clayton keep asking about you. They want you to come back over to the house and play more computer games with them. And Linda has been home from the hospital for a few weeks. Her leg is nearly healed. I expect that she'll be back playing baseball very soon with her brothers."

"That's great." Gary said. He willed his brain to think of an excuse so that he could make a quick exit. "Listen, I need to…."

"I've been thinking a lot about you, Gary. I'm sorry for coming on so strong when you had dinner at my house. It's just that you were so good to the boys. I know that they miss their father. You also have to know that I find you very attractive. I guess I went too far. But when you returned my kiss, I thought, I hoped, that maybe you might be interested too."

So Jeff had kissed this woman. Must have been something he "forgot" to tell Marissa when he decided to play Santa Claus with his financial windfall!

"Listen, Virginia. You are a beautiful woman, but things wouldn't work between us. I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression, but I don't think that we should see each other anymore." Gary didn't want to hurt Virginia's feelings. But he also didn't want to be trapped into a relationship with a woman with whom he had no interest.

"Are you involved with some one else?" Virginia probed. "Is it Marcia?"

"Howzat?"

"I didn't realize that she was your ex-wife. When she told me, I couldn't believe it. I mean, what are the odds that my lawyer would be the ex-wife of a man whom I….," Virginia paused before continuing, "are you and Marcia thinking about getting back together?"

"No."

"Well, are you seeing anyone else?" Virginia repeated.

"No. It's just that…."

"That's good. I mean, maybe we can get to know each other. Take things slowly. I can be a fun person when you get to know me." Virginia said, laughing.

A silence.

"Listen, Virginia…."

"At least promise me that you'll come over the house again soon for dinner. I know that the children would love to see you." Virginia said.

Now what? He didn't want to hurt the children. Apparently, Jeff had bonded with them. He didn't want the children to think that he was a jerk by refusing to see them.

"Sure. Dinner sometimes." Gary replied hesitantly.

"Great. How about tomorrow night?"

"Tomorrow night? W-Well, I…" Gary shifted uncomfortably in the chair. He rubbed his hand along the back of his neck.

Just then Jennifer walked into the restaurant with some of her fellow cast members. She spotted Gary at the table with a very attractive brunette. Her heart sank.

Chapter Eight 

The sight of Gary having lunch with the attractive brunette paralyzed Jennifer's steps. An array of emotions consumed her- jealousy, anger, upset, and fear. She knew that she had no right to feel this way. It wasn't as if Gary were cheating on her. He had the right to have lunch with whomever he wanted. But that was her brain talking. Her heart refused to be that logical.

You aren't just going to give up, are you? You aren't going to just let this woman have Gary? Jennifer's inner voice asked.

The inner voice was right. She wasn't a quitter. She had Szabo-Metcalf blood in her veins. Grandmom hadn't become the Lemo Tomato Juice Girl and parlayed her radio stint into a successful television career by being a quitter. Granddad hadn't survived a broken leg, which almost destroyed his baseball career only to re-emerge as one of the most valued players with the Cleveland Indians by being a quitter. She certainly wasn't a quitter, not when she had left River Run and traveled across the country to pursue her acting dream without her parents' financial support. No she wasn't going to give up. No way. She couldn't explain it, but somehow she knew that she and Gary could have something special. But she had to be willing to fight for it.

"Jennifer, are you okay?" Adam Torrance asked upon noticing Jennifer's distressed expression. Adam was the leading man on the show. He was a very handsome man with his dark hair, eyes like black opals, and a megawatt smile. But more importantly, he was a sensitive guy who remained unaffected by the lavish attention women showered upon him because of his looks. Secretly, Adam liked Jennifer.

"Yes. I'm fine."

"Do you want to go someplace else?" Adam asked.

"No. No, this place is perfect. It has everything I want." Jennifer replied, looking in Gary's direction as she spoke.

"I still don't understand why we couldn't pick a place to eat that was closer to the studio." Megan whined. Fiery, impulsive, and spoiled, Megan Connor considered herself the "star" of the show. She believed that the world revolved around her and that every man she met was hopelessly in love with her.

"Because we weren't in the mood for hot dogs." Adam said.

The waiter arrived and directed the actors to their table.

"Actually, I thought that we could sit over there." Jennifer requested, indicating a table which was a short distance from Gary's table. A large, potted palm tree separated the two tables. Surprisingly, even with the plant, Jennifer realized that from this vantagepoint she could see and hear Gary's conversation without him noticing her.

"Very well, Madam." The waiter escorted the group to the table. Ten minutes later, he returned with a pitcher of ice water and took their lunch orders. Jennifer and Megan selected chef salads while Adam chose a steak sandwich. Adam requested that the waiter leave the pitcher on the table.

A short while later, the waiter returned with their meal.

Jennifer noticed that Gary didn't seem very happy with his luncheon companion. Several times, he shifted uncomfortably in the chair. He kept rubbing his hand across the back of his neck. The attractive brunette placed her hand over Gary's. He quickly slid his hand from underneath her grasp.

He's just shy. I'll get him out of that, Virginia said to herself.

"So Gary, I've been doing all of the talking. I really don't know too much about you. What do you do?" Virginia asked.

"What do I do?" Gary repeated.

I get tomorrow's newspaper today and I'm out saving lives, the inner voice said jokingly.

Do you really want this woman to know that much about you, Hobson? The inner voice asked in serious tone.

You got a better idea? Gary challenged his subconscious.

"I own a bar, McGinty's. Actually, I co-own the bar with my friend, Marissa Clark."

Gary's friend has the same name as her aunt. How come he didn't mention that? Jennifer wondered.

"Bar owner. Funny, I can't imagine you owning a bar. With a face like yours, you could be an actor." Virginia cooed.

Gary blushed.

Oh brother! What kind of line was that? Jennifer thought to herself. It took every ounce of self-restraint for Jennifer not to march right over to Gary's table with the pitcher of ice water and dump it over the woman's head. She clearly needed to be cooled off. But Jennifer didn't want to embarrass Gary or herself.

"I see why you wanted to sit here. The view is much nicer." Megan said, observing Gary. Jennifer knew that Megan was referring to Gary.

Great. Now Megan was looking at Gary.

Jennifer decided to ignore Megan's comment. She needed to formulate a game plan. If she waited for Gary to make the first move, she'd be waiting forever. Maybe she could go over to McGinty's and talk to Gary's friend. It couldn't hurt to learn everything she could about him.

"I hope that the ratings for the show are good. It would be great to have a hit." Adam said. He was unaware of the drama unfolding with Jennifer.

"Yes. A hit. That would be great." Jennifer responded absent-mindedly.

"I know that you like baseball, Gary. Do you like any other sports?" Virginia probed.

"Hockey." Gary replied.

"Wow. What a coincidence. I love hockey and so do the boys. Linda is starting to get into the game, too. Actually, I have some tickets to a hockey match. Would you like to go with us?"

"Thanks for the invitation. But I have a very busy schedule. I don't know if I would have time to…"

"It would be wonderful going to a hockey game. You, me, the boys, and Linda. I think hockey games are much more fun when a whole family attends." Virginia said.

Oh boy. Virginia really wasn't listening to anything he was saying. How could he make her understand that he didn't want to spend any time with her without hurting her feelings?

That woman has some nerve! Jennifer seethed. She's acting like Gary is the father of her children with her talk of family outings. Why doesn't Gary tell her to take a flying leap?

Because he is a kind man. He doesn't want to hurt the woman's feelings, the inner voice explained.

But that woman is such a parasite! Jennifer argued. Sadly, women like this never go out of style. Grandmom told her about Caroline Hailey and how the Hailey woman had pursued Granddad when he and Grandmom were having problems in their relationship. Caroline envisioned Granddad as a successful baseball player and was eager to get her claws into him. Caroline lusted after Granddad's money (or what she perceived of him having a lot of money).

But this woman just lusted after Gary.

Virginia began blinking her left eye.

"Is something wrong?" Gary asked.

"I think I have something in my eye. Could you help me please?" Virginia purred.

Gary rose from his chair and walked over to Virginia. He gently placed his finger over her eyelid. "I don't see anything."

Give me a break. Come on, Gary, the "I-Have-Something-In-My-Eye-And-I-Need-A-Man-To-Get-It-Out" is a seduction trick, Jennifer thought to herself.

Gary continued looking into Virginia's eye while she blinked. After a few minutes, Virginia said, "I got it. Thank you, Gary." Virginia planted a kiss squarely on Gary's lips.

"Y-You're we-welcome." Gary stuttered.

"I hope that I didn't embarrass you." Virginia said.

"No…no…no….you didn't embarrass me." Gary stammered.

Jennifer's hand reached for the pitcher of water.

"Here, let me get that for you." Adam offered. "You really haven't touched your lunch. Are you sure that you're okay?"

"I'm sure. I just wasn't hungry." Jennifer replied. She drank from her glass of water even though thirst wasn't exactly her intention when she reached for the pitcher.

Just seeing that woman's slimy lips on Gary made Jennifer sick to her stomach. Poor Gary also looked a bit queasy.

For the next hour, Jennifer watched and listened as Gary continued to squirm through Virginia's advances.

"We should be getting back to the studio." Adam suggested.

"That's right. We'll be shooting most of my scenes this afternoon." Megan reminded.

"Jennifer?"

"The studio. Yeah, right. Work. We should be going." Jennifer agreed.

After Adam paid the check, the three actors rose from their chairs and headed for the door. Jennifer stole one last glance at Gary. Her heart raced.

Taping wasn't expected to last that much longer today. Then she could go over to McGinty's. If this Marissa Clark cared about Gary the way Jennifer hoped, she would be a great ally to have.

That woman may believe that she got to third base with Gary, but no one knew baseball like a Metcalf. Jennifer had all the tenacity to hit a home run in the game of love.

Chapter Nine

Walking towards McGinty's, Jennifer wondered whether talking to Marissa was such a good idea. What was she going to say? "Hi, my name is Jennifer Metcalf and I hear that you are Gary's friend. Could you tell me anything about him that would help me win his heart?" Or, how about "Hello, I'm Jennifer Metcalf. Gary saved my life and ever since then I can't get him out of my mind. Since you are his friend, maybe you could give me a clue as to how I could get him to ask me out on a date?"

Maybe, she could lie. Or, better yet, she could use a mental reservation. Jennifer smiled. The Metcalf mental reservations were legendary. And Granddad held the record for weaving the most creative mental reservations. Grandmom used to say that Granddad would have been in a world of trouble many times if he hadn't used mental reservations. Of course, those puppy dog eyes and that little boy charm didn't hurt either.

Dad hated that Granddad told her about mental reservations. He always called them a fancy word for lying. Right. Like what Dad did sometimes for his clients was the pinnacle of honesty.

Deep breath. Okay, think mental reservation Jennifer willed her brain. Perhaps inspiration would come once she began talking to Marissa. After all, she was an actor. She was trained to think on her feet.

Jennifer opened the front door to McGinty's. There weren't any customers. Jennifer looked at her watch- 5:30p.m. Maybe, it was still early. Jennifer saw a female bartender behind the bar stocking glasses.

"Excuse me. I'm looking for Marissa Clark." Jennifer asked the bartender.

Marissa was leaving the office just in time to hear Jennifer say her name.

"I'm Marissa Clark."

"Jennifer Metcalf." Jennifer said, extending her hand to Marissa. Marissa accepted Jennifer's handshake. The handshake was firm, but also warm and sincere. Marissa didn't need to see to know that this young woman had inherited Jeff's goodness. Immediately, Marissa sensed that Jennifer was the woman for Gary. She was the woman who would finally love and appreciate him unconditionally.

Marissa and Jennifer sat down at a table.

"How can I help you, Ms. Metcalf?"

"It's Jennifer."

"How could I help you, Jennifer?"

"Ms. Clark."

"It's Marissa."

"Marissa, I hear that you are a friend of Gary Hobson. He saved my life and I wanted to…" Jennifer stopped mid-sentence. She was struggling. Instantly, she felt comfortable around Marissa. She didn't want to lie nor did she want to rely on a mental reservation. Suddenly, the words wouldn't come. What now?

"Yes. Gary mentioned you." Marissa offered, smiling.

"He did?" Jennifer asked hopefully. Gary had mentioned her to his friend. That was a good sign.

"Yes."

"Gary seems like such a great guy. I mean, to go out of his way to help a stranger. Not too many people would do that."" Jennifer said. ""How long have you known him?"

"Gary is a terrific guy and he has such a big heart. I've known him for almost six years. We worked together at a brokerage firm. I was a receptionist. Gary was a stockbroker. Most of the stockbrokers wouldn't even say good morning. To them, the receptionist wasn't worth their respect. But Gary was different. He'd always stop by the front desk to talk with me even when he didn't have any phone messages. He wanted to know how I was doing. And whenever he'd run outside for a snack, he always check first to see whether I wanted anything. Gary cared about people not status. To him, no one was more important than anyone else because of their education or their job. Over the years, our friendship has grown. We have been through a lot together. "

"I can imagine Gary being easy to talk to. That is, when he talks at all. He seems so shy." Jennifer said, laughing.

"Gary is very shy, but that is partly because of some of the things that has happened to him. He's scared of rejection." Marissa paused before continuing. She wasn't sure whether she should be telling Jennifer this much about Gary's private life, but somehow she trusted Jennifer. "Gary was married. His ex-wife didn't treat him very well. I know that he still blames himself for the breakup of the marriage."

"Gary was married? I can't believe that a woman would let a guy like him go. Not when he is so…." Jennifer felt her cheeks getting warm. Her palms were sweaty. She was glad that Marissa couldn't see her embarrassment. She felt like such a schoolgirl. God, Gary Hobson, what have you done to me?

"Marcia didn't deserve a guy like Gary. But what I can't forgive her the most for is that she made Gary believe that there was something wrong with him. That he didn't deserve love." Marissa said.

Even though she didn't know Marcia, from what Marissa just told her, Jennifer hated Marcia. She hated all the pain and sadness that Marcia must have caused Gary. The thought of Gary brokenhearted devastated Jennifer. If anyone deserved happiness and love, it was Gary.

"Gary is lucky to have a friend like you." Jennifer said.

"Thank you. But we are lucky to have each other." Marissa replied. "So, tell me about yourself?"

"Well, I'm an only child. I'm from River Run, Ohio. I came to Chicago for an acting job. My parents hate it that I'm an actress. They want me to have a "real" profession. But for as long as I could remember, I dreamed of becoming an actress. Dad's a lawyer and I think that he wished that I followed in his footsteps. I can just see the shingle 'Metcalf and Metcalf, Attorneys At Law'. I don't know, maybe he's right. I mean, acting is such an uncertain profession. Maybe, I should do something with more job security. At the very least, I'd make my Dad really happy." Jennifer said sighing.

"Jennifer, life is uncertain. There are no guarantees. But the worse thing we can do is to give up on a dream just to please someone else. I'm sure that your father loves you and wouldn't want you to be unhappy which you would be if you gave up your dream."

"You sound just like my Granddad."

"Well, your grandfather is a very smart man."

"Have you ever heard of him, Jeff Metcalf? He was a baseball player with the Cleveland Indians. Correction, he was the best baseball player the Cleveland Indians ever had. He's also the best grandfather a girl could have. " Jennifer beamed.

Marissa smiled. Clearly, Jennifer loved Jeff a great deal. But Marissa couldn't imagine Jeff as an old man. In her mind, Jeff was the young man whom she had cradled in her arms a few weeks ago when he cried over the little girl's car accident, the young man who wasn't ready for the bomb toting terrorist, the young man who nearly died in that bank and the building collapse, the young man who feared that he had lost the love of his life to Gary.

"Yes. I've heard of your grandfather. He was a great baseball player and he sounds like a special man."

"He is. He and Grandmom have been married for over fifty years and their love is still so strong. I hope that I can find love like that."

"I know you will."

"You are so easy to talk to, just like my aunt. Her name is Marissa too."

"Really? You have an aunt named Marissa?" Marissa's eyes glisten. She was overwhelmed with emotion. Jeff had named his daughter after her.

"Yes. She's a psychologist and my best friend."

Marissa smiled.

"Jennifer, I hope that you don't think that I am prying, but how do you feel about Gary?"

"I care about him. I care about him a lot. But he doesn't seem to like me. I mean, I asked him to dinner to thank him for saving my life, but he turned me down. He told me that he wasn't involved with anyone, but I saw him having lunch with another woman. I sent him roses to say thank you. I don't know, maybe I'm not his type." Jennifer lamented.

"If you care about Gary, then don't give up on him. Make him see that you are the woman for him. Gary's heart has been broken more times than anyone should have to endure. He is scared. But just sitting here with you and talking, I know that you will be good for him. And I will do anything I can to help him see that." Marissa vowed.

"Thank you, Marissa."

Just then, the front door swung open. Gary entered the bar, a tired and frustrated expression on his face. Gary froze when he saw Jennifer talking to Marissa.

"What are you doing here?" Gary said to Jennifer. His tone was surprisingly unfriendly.


	2. Installment 2

Chapter Ten

Gary's eyes studied Jennifer's face. Her flawless skin was like fine porcelain. Her eyes sparkled like pools of light from which he could easily drown. Her lips were like fine rubies inviting his lips to join in the splendor of endless kissing.

No, he wasn't going to do this again. He wasn't going to allow his heart to dominate his common sense. He was feeling things for this woman that he shouldn't feel. But he had learned his lesson with Ginger. He wasn't going to surrender his heart ever again, not to Jennifer Metcalf or any woman.

"What are you doing here?" Gary asked. His tone was surprisingly unfriendly.

Jennifer was shocked by Gary's severe tone. He acted like he was unhappy to see her, like he didn't want her there. Maybe Marissa was wrong. Maybe she didn't have a chance with him.

"I stopped by to see if…you got my flowers. I met Marissa here and we've just been talking." Jennifer explained.

"Gary, let me see you in the office for a moment." Marissa said. Marissa didn't know what had gotten into Gary since this morning, but she didn't like the way he treated Jennifer. He needed a good talking to.

"Marissa, I was just about to go upstairs." Gary replied.

"Now, Gary!" Marissa demanded. "Jennifer, if you'll excuse us." Marissa walked towards the office. Gary followed behind her sheepishly.

Marissa closed the office door. "Do you want to tell me what that was about?"

"Marissa, I really don't feel like talking about this right now."

"I don't care what you feel like. The man out there wasn't the Gary I know. The Gary I know would have never been so insensitive. What's wrong with you?"

Gary sighed. He definitely wasn't in the mood for a scolding. This day had been horrible beginning with his early morning consultation with Marcia, a consultation that wouldn't have been necessary but for Jeff's desire to set up a trust for Virginia's children. And then it took him over two hours to free himself from Virginia's clutches after first promising that he would come over for dinner tomorrow night. Of course, the long lunch with Virginia caused him to run late in preventing the child from falling down the sewer. He had arrived seconds before the mishap. He grabbed the child before she could be hurt. He had been unable to save the doll.

Unfortunately, the child's mother hadn't taken too kindly to a strange man grabbing her child. She assumed that he was a kidnapper. His explanation fell on deaf ears. The police were called and he was arrested. He spent the next few hours pleading his case. Finally, the mother and the police believed his story. No charges were filed.

Tired and frustrated, he returned to McGinty's expecting a shower and bed, not Jennifer Metcalf.

"Look, Marissa. I'm sorry if I hurt Jennifer's feelings. I didn't mean to. It's just that it's been a rotten day. First, I had to deal with Marcia then Virginia. If it weren't for Jeff…"

"Enough already! Enough! I'm sick and tired of you whining about how terrible your life has been because of Jeff. Are you going to spend the rest of your life blaming Jeff?"

"Marissa."

"So Jeff got Ginger. So what. So Gary lost the girl. So what. Meanwhile, there's a girl out there who really cares about you. But you are too busy destroying yourself over a memory to notice."

"She said that she cared about me?"

"Yes, she did."

"I blew it, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did. But you can still make this right. Go out there and apologize to Jennifer. Ask her out on a date." Marissa advised.

"A date? I don't think I'm ready for that." Gary said. He rubbed his hand on the back of his neck.

"When will you be ready? It's time to let Ginger go. It's time to let the pain go. It's time to open up your heart."

A silence.

"I'm scared. What if…What if it doesn't work?" Gary asked fearfully.

"What if it does? Give yourself a chance, Gary. Give Jennifer a chance."

Determined, but still afraid, Gary left the office. He was going to apologize to Jennifer then ask her out on a date and pray that she'd go out with him.

Gary was devastated when he walked into the bar. Jennifer was gone.

Chapter Eleven

During the cab ride to the studio, Gary rehearsed his conversation with Jennifer. He had to do this right. He had to make her understand that he was sorry and to give him another chance. A date? Marissa seemed so sure that he was ready to take this step. But dating? And what about the paper? Would it even cooperate? Every time he tried dating, the paper sent negative signals. Gary remembered his short-lived relationship with Emma Shaw. When he tried dating Emma, the paper had him prevent a grief stricken elderly woman from committing suicide because she didn't want to live without her recently deceased husband. Emma was left waiting for him at the restaurant. First date down the tubes. The second date could have qualified for disaster relief. The paper had given him three saves to complete that evening. Chuck pinpointed the exact location of each rescue and told Gary that all he had to do was to take Emma to a restaurant within the "Hobson Triangle." Simple. Right? Wrong. Dino's wasn't exactly fine cuisine. And Emma didn't appreciate him constantly leaving her. The date would have been a total lost but for him taking Emma to that wall mural.

Alas, a Hobson-Shaw union was doomed from the start. Emma saw him as a substitute for Marco. When he discovered that the paper planned to reunite Emma with her presumed dead love at the opera, he considered keeping Emma away from Marco with a moonlight dinner cruise. But Emma's heart wasn't his to win. Her heart belonged to Marco. He realized this and returned Emma to the opera house where he assumed that she and Marco met and lived happily ever after.

Maybe romantic fairy tales aren't supposed to exist for a guy who gets tomorrow's newspaper today.

Sighing, Gary paid the cab fare and walked the short distance to the studio. The air was crisp. Suddenly, a realization struck Gary- what if Jennifer was no longer at the studio? He had no idea how long these television shootings lasted. What if everything had been wrapped up for today?

Gary didn't know where Jennifer lived nor how to reach her. After his insensitivity, he couldn't expect her to have returned to McGinty's.

Gary went inside the studio. The security guard remembered him from earlier. Because he had saved Jennifer's life, he was given entry into the studio. He learned that an unscheduled taping had been called and that Jennifer was still on the set. The doors to the set were closed to everyone but the actors.

Gary was lead to the waiting area away from the set.

He nervously waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Finally, an actress emerged from the set. "Are you waiting for someone?" Megan asked.

"Yes. Jennifer Metcalf." Gary replied.

"She's finishing with a scene. She should be out shortly. Hey, I remember you. You were the guy we saw today in the restaurant at the Chicago Hilton Hotel." Megan said.

"We?"

"Jennifer, Adam, and me. You were having lunch with some brunette. Well, I got to run." Megan said before leaving.

Great. Jennifer had seen him having lunch with Virginia right after he told her that he wasn't involved with anyone. Then he gave her that less than warm welcome at McGinty's. Nice job, Hobson. She's never going to go out with you now, the inner voice mocked.

His subconscious was right. He was crazy to think that this could work.

Gary turned to leave when he heard a voice call his name. He turned around and saw Jennifer standing next to a man with dark hair. The man's arm was wrapped protectively around her waist.

A pang of jealousy seized Gary.

"Gary, I didn't expect to see you again tonight." Jennifer said. Her tone masked the hurt she felt towards Gary's reaction to seeing her at McGinty's.

"I should be leaving. I'll see you tomorrow, Jennifer. Good work in there." Adam said. He kissed Jennifer on the cheek before leaving the studio.

Another pang of jealousy gripped Gary.

His palms were sweaty. His mouth felt dry.

"Give yourself a chance, Gary. Give Jennifer a chance" Marissa's words echoed in his mind.

"Listen , Jennifer, about earlier, I'm very sorry for the way I acted. I had a bad day and I took it out on you. I was a jerk. You have every right to be mad and to tell me to get lost, but I hope that you won't do that. I hope that…that you will give me another chance… and maybe…and maybe…you'll have dinner with me?" Gary stammered.

A silence.

Was she hearing right? Did Gary just ask her out on a date? Jennifer felt like bursting. This was one of those times that she was grateful that she was an actor. Otherwise, she would have embarrassed herself with a display of adolescent giddiness.

Gary interpreted Jennifer's silence as a refusal. He should have never come to the studio.

"I'm sorry to bother you. I'll be going." Gary said. He turned around and started to walk away.

"Hey, Gary," Jennifer called out, "You never told me when you wanted to go out."

Gary turned back around to face Jennifer. The most beautiful smile crossed his face.

"Are you free tomorrow night about 7:00?" Gary asked. "Do you like Italian food?"

"7:00 sounds great and I love Italian food." Jennifer reached into her purse for a piece of paper and a pen. She wrote down her number, walked over to Gary, and handed him the slip of paper. "In case you need to reach me."

Gary smiled again. "Thanks. See you tomorrow night."

"I'm looking forward to it." Jennifer replied, smiling.

Leaving the studio, Gary realized that night had descended over the streets of Chicago. He looked up at the sky. Even the stars seemed happy. They shone brightly.

The cab ride back to McGinty's seemed quicker than the ride to the studio. Walking into the bar, Gary saw that the evening customers were already there. Before he reached the office, Marissa stopped him.

"How did it go?" Marissa asked.

"I have a date tomorrow night." Gary replied before going up to his loft.

"Bravo, Gary." Marissa said to herself, smiling.

Gary opened the door to the loft and turned on the lights. He proceeded to his bed. Sitting on the bed, he reached over to the nightstand and grabbed the bracelet. His fingers traced the inspiration "With your lips to mine, a rhapsody divine. You make my heart sing." Gary opened the drawer to the night stand, placed the bracelet inside, and closed the drawer.

"Good bye, Ginger." He whispered.

Chapter Twelve 

"Meow. Thump.

Gary turned over in his bed, hugging the pillow tightly. Last night was the first night he had slept peacefully in a long time. Tonight promised to be a new beginning for he and Jennifer.

Throwing back the bed covers, Gary walked over to his front door opening it for his feline deliverer.

"You and I are going to have a talk." Gary said to the cat as he bent over to pick up the paper. The cat ran into Gary's apartment and jumped onto the couch.

Gary closed the front door. "First, I told you to stay off of the furniture." Gary demanded. He lifted the cat off of the couch and placed it on the floor. Gary squatted down so that he and the cat were at eye level. "For nearly five years, you have given me this," Gary said waving the paper in the air, "and I have done whatever was asked of me. I didn't think that it was funny when you had the paper send me to stop that fashion show fire and I got stuck with the lunch date from hell. Tonight I have a date. Do you hear me? A date. So, I'm going to open this paper and I'm not going to see anything that I have to handle that will interfere with my plans. Right? Okay, I'm opening the paper. I'm turning the pages."

"Meow."

"Is that all you have to say? I'm telling you, there better not be anything in here to mess up my date." Gary warned.

Gary flipped through the pages- school budget discussions, zoning board approval, councilman indicted, shuttle launch postponed. Nothing life threatening. Nothing.

Gary Hobson actually had the whole day off to prepare for his date.

"I have a date." Gary repeated as if the realization was finally sinking in.

Gary rose from the floor and walked over to the kitchen. "How about some breakfast?" He asked the cat.

"Meow." The cat jumped onto the kitchen table.

Gary allowed the cat to remain on the table. The furniture didn't matter. He had a date. He had a chance at a new beginning.

Gary removed a pizza box from the refrigerator. He opened the box. Cold pepperoni pizza topped with peppers, mushrooms, and pineapple stared back at him. Gary removed the pineapple and handed a piece of pizza to the cat.

The cat looked at the food suspiciously.

"The breakfast of champions." Gary said. Gary took a bite of pizza.

"And what about that guy with his arm around Jennifer like he thought she was going to fall or something. And kissing her on the cheek. What was that about?" Gary mumbled.

"Meow."

"I'm not jealous if that's what you're thinking. I just don't like those phony types. Who did he think he was? Cary Grant?"

"Meow."

"Never mind."

After he showered and dressed, Gary went downstairs.

Gary entered the bar whistling. "Good morning, Marissa. Isn't it a wonderful day?" Gary said.

" Good morning, Gary. You are very cheerful this morning. It wouldn't have anything to do with your date tonight, would it?"

"That and today I am a free man. I have nothing to deal with in the paper. No slip and falls. No fights. No fires. Nothing."

"And you thought that the paper didn't want you dating. So tell me what happened with Jennifer last night. I want details." Marissa demanded."

" Well, I went to the studio. Jennifer had been called back for an unscheduled taping. I had to wait quite a while before she was finished. She came out with this guy. He must have been one of the actors. He had his arm wrapped around her waist. The jerk acted like she couldn't move without his assistance. Then he kissed her good bye." Gary said, jealousy evident in his voice.

Marissa laughed.

"What? I'm not jealous if that's what you are thinking." Gary protested.

"Right. You're not jealous. That's why you called a guy you don't even know a jerk just because he had his arm around Jennifer."

"I just don't like it when men think that women are helpless. Anyway, he didn't have to hold her there." Gary added.

Marissa laughed again.

"Would you stop that please? I'm not jealous." Gary reiterated.

"Sure. You're jealous. Now tell me what else happened." Marissa said slyly.

"Anyway, I apologized to Jennifer and then asked her to have dinner with me. At first, she didn't say anything. I thought that she was mad at me and didn't want to go out, but as I walked away, she called and said that would go out with me."

"Are you going to tell her what happened between you and her grandparents?" Marissa worried that if Gary kept this secret from Jennifer it would doom their relationship before it had a chance.

Gary rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know." He replied honestly.

"You have to tell her."

"I know. But not now. I mean, maybe after we get to know each other better." Gary reassured.

Marissa decided not to pressure Gary. But inside, she worried about the effect this potentially dangerous secret would have on Gary and Jennifer's burgeoning relationship.

"Where are you taking her?"

"I haven't decided. She said that she liked Italian food. But I don't just want to take her to some restaurant. I want tonight to be special. I want her to know that I think that she is special." Gary revealed. "Maybe I could use the paper so I could win enough money to fly her to Italy." Gary said jokingly.

"Gary."

"Just kidding."

"I'm sure you'll think of the perfect place."

"I hope so."

"Besides you have all day to prepare."

Gary had a far away expression on his face and was silent for a moment.

"Gary?"

"I know exactly what I'm going to do for Jennifer for our first date." Gary said, a cheshire cat grin on his face.

Chapter Thirteen

It was almost 6:00 p.m. Marissa listened as Gary nervously paced the kitchen floor barking out orders to the already frazzled staff. He was like an expectant father awaiting the birth of his first child and harassing the hospital employees for information. Except he wasn't an expectant father. He was a very tense man striving for the perfect first date. Despite his nervous demeanor, Marissa knew that he was happy. And that made her happy.

When Gary told her his intentions for the date, Marissa was pleased with the idea. He decided to close the bar to all customers and to turn McGinty's into his and Jennifer's own private Italian restaurant. "I don't want to share her with anyone else tonight" Gary explained.

Gary had gone all out to create a romantic paradise. A huge gold banner with the words "Welcome To McGinty's, Jennifer Metcalf" in black lettering hung conspicuously over the bar. Gary knew that he had hurt Jennifer by his attitude yesterday when he found her talking with Marissa. He hoped that his gesture with the banner would show her that she was welcomed at McGinty's and in his life. Numerous pairs of black and gold balloons decorated the room. A gold tablecloth adorned the tables. Candles painted gold sat comfortably in candle stick holders.

Gary hired a violinist to serenade them while they ate. The violinist was instructed to play an assortment of romantic melodies as well as to honor any song requests that Jennifer provided.

The best students from a Chicago culinary institute were hired to assist the regular kitchen staff with the preparation of Italian dishes.

Earlier, Gary called Jennifer and asked for her address. He told her that he would be sending a ride to pick her up. Jennifer was curious as to where Gary planned to take her. He would only tell her that it was a surprise. Gary arranged for a black stretch limo to greet Jennifer at her apartment.

"Don't you think that you should be getting ready?" Marissa reminded Gary. The kitchen staff mouthed "Thank God." Gary's presence in the kitchen was driving everyone crazy.

"Right." Gary agreed as he disappeared to the loft.

Twenty minutes later, he emerged from his bathroom wearing a black tuxedo with a gold cummerbund. The bow tie dangled freely next to his shirt. God, he hated ties! But tonight, he would ignore comfort and wear a tie and the tuxedo to look his best for Jennifer.

As he attempted to fix the bow tie, his mirrored reflection taunted him.

"What are you doing, Hobson? Do you think that I don't know what you are trying to pull?" The mirrored image of Gary asked.

"I'm not trying to pull anything." Gary replied.

"Sure you are. Turning McGinty's into a romantic fantasyland just like you turned the Purl Roadhouse into a romantic fantasyland. This woman is not Ginger. You can't make her into Ginger." The mirrored image of Gary accused.

"I'm not trying to make her into Ginger. Tonight isn't about Ginger. Tonight is about Jennifer and me." Gary defended.

"Are you sure?" The mirrored image of Gary inquired.

"Yes, I am. Now leave me alone, will ya!" Gary yelled.

"Gary?" Marissa stood outside the ajar door. She heard Gary talking to himself.

"Come in."

"Who were you talking to?"

"No one. Could you help me with this bow tie, please?"

Marissa entered the loft and approached Gary. Less than five minutes later, the bow tie was tied.

Marissa never ceased to amaze Gary. His blind friend could fix the perfect bow tie while he struggled with the thing.

"How do I look?"

"Gary, you're asking a blind person how you look. Don't be so nervous. Everything will be okay."

A silence.

"Marissa, am I making a mistake? I mean, about tonight, this date?"

"Why would you ask that?"

"It's just that…well, how do I know that I'm not just using Jennifer, that I'm not trying to recreate Ginger. They look alike, they have almost the same mannerisms. Maybe subconsciously, I'm seeing Jennifer as my second chance with Ginger." Gary said worried.

Marissa put a gentle hand on Gary's shoulder. "I told you that your heart will know. I know how happy you sound when you talk about Jennifer and how jealous you were when you talked about another man touching her."

"I wasn't jealous. I was just…just jealous." Gary finally conceded.

"You wouldn't be feeling that way if you didn't care about Jennifer because of who she is. Don't worry so much, Gary. Don't even think so much. Just enjoy tonight. You have put alot of yourself into making this a special evening."

"Thanks Marissa." Marissa always knew what to say to make him feel better.

"You're welcome. I'm going to go home before your date arrives. Have a wonderful night and I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Talk to you tomorrow."

Marissa disappeared from the loft.

Gary sat down on the couch. He looked at his watch- 6:35. Jennifer would be here soon. Butterflies had taken residence in his stomach. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths.

"Jennifer is your destiny. It's time to let me go. It's time to open up your heart to love and new beginnings." Ginger had appeared to him recently in a dream and had uttered those words. "Your heart will know." Marissa had predicted.

Gary had vowed that he would never surrender his heart to another woman after Ginger. But now he realized that he was wrong. He realized that he wanted love. He wanted a future with Jennifer.

Gary walked towards the door. Turning off the lights and closing the door, he proceeded down stairs. Whether he was ready or not his future was about to begin.

The clock struck 7:00. All the tables looked beautiful with their shimmering gold tablecloths. The black and gold theme had definitely transformed McGinty's into a place of quiet elegance.

Gary stood facing the door. Soon, he heard a car pull up to the curb. The front door opened and there she was-like an apparition only she was real. And she was beautiful.

Gary swallowed hard when he saw her.

Jennifer removed the black beaded evening jacket to reveal a black evening gown with tiny black sequins. The evening gown was low cut, but extremely tasteful.

Her hair hung unbridled down her back. The reflection from the glowing candles gave Jennifer's hair a goldish hue.

As she walked into the bar, she smiled. Her eyes twinkled with hope. Jennifer looked around the room. The balloons mischievously moved around as if some invisible hand were urging them to greet her. The tables looked inviting.

Jennifer's eyes caught the banner. One small tear escaped and trickled down her cheek.

"I never expected this." Jennifer said, choking back emotion. "First the limo and now all this."

"Welcome to McGinty's, Jennifer Metcalf. Welcome to a magical night." Gary replied, his hand outstretched to receive Jennifer's hand. She took Gary's hand.

"Where do I sit?" Jennifer asked.

"Anywhere you want. This entire place is yours."

Jennifer chose a center table. Gary pulled out a chair for her then sat down himself.

One of the kitchen staff entered the room. The man wore a tuxedo. He was the waiter tonight. He brought champagne and poured two glasses for Gary and Jennifer.

"What should we toast to?" Gary asked.

"How about to falling overhead studio lights?" Jennifer said jokingly.

Gary laughed. "Okay. We can do that.," Gary paused for a moment, "and let's add 'To Destiny.'"

Jennifer liked the sound of that. Could it mean that Gary saw her as his destiny? She sure hoped so.

They picked up their glasses toasting "To Falling Overhead Studio Lights and To Destiny."

"You know, I always wondered how you happened to appear just in time to save me from those crashing lights."

Oh Boy, Gary thought to himself. He definitely wasn't ready to tell Jennifer about the paper. He wasn't about to risk ending their relationship before it even started.

A worried expression crossed Gary's face. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

"Is something wrong?" Jennifer asked.

"No. How did I happen to appear in time to save you from the falling lights? Well, I have this friend who worked on the construction of the set and he was concerned about the lights. He couldn't come down to check for himself, so as a friend, I offered to check things out. I guess I just happened to be in the right place at the right time." Gary explained. God, he hated lying to her. Why couldn't he have thought of one of those famous Metcalf mental reservations?

"Well, we should be toasting your friend's busy schedule." Jennifer added.

Gary smiled. But the smile hid a secret "Tell her the truth about the paper" he could hear Marissa saying in his head. "I'm not ready" his subconscious answered.

The waiter entered with the appetizers. An assortment of culinary delights appeared- calamari, shrimp, eggplant stuffed with crab, portobello mushrooms.

"This looks great." Jennifer said, placing a piece of calamari on her plate.

"I never used to imagine eating calamari," Gary confessed, scooping the squid onto his plate, "I mean, it is not exactly the kind of food a guy from Hickory, Indiana is used to eating. But Marissa suggested that I give it a try. Marissa said that I should open up myself to new experiences and I might find that I would be pleasantly surprised."

"Marissa is right. I really like her. She is so warm and caring. You are lucky to have a friend like her."

"I know. I don't know what I would have done over the years without Marissa. She has been there for me and supported and encouraged me." Gary said. "She has also knocked some sense into my head when I needed it. I think that I probably listen to her more than I've listened to my parents." Gary added laughing.

"That's the way it is with my aunt Marissa, too. Tell me about your parents."

"They still live in Indiana, but they visit a lot. Dad can sometimes be," Gary searched for the right words to describe Bernie, "unconventional and playful. But mom keeps him in line. You might say that mom is like the captain of the ship." Gary ate a bite of calamari. "Sometimes, my parents can be a bit smothering, especially mom. I guess that happens when you are an only child. I love my parents, but I was glad when I moved to Chicago. I needed the space. I think that the distance has helped our relationship."

"I'm an only child too. And my parents weren't happy when I left the safety of the family nest to chase my acting dream. What dreams are you chasing, Gary?"

"I don't know. I guess I'm still looking. Although I feel more hopeful now that I'll find what I've been searching for." Gary responded, his eyes fixed on Jennifer as he spoke.

Jennifer smiled.

Gary never felt this comfortable talking to any date. He felt like letting down his defenses. He felt safe with Jennifer.

Your heart will know.

The violinist approached the table. "Any requests, Madam?"

"How about George Gershwin? I always loved Rhapsody in Blue." Jennifer said.

Jennifer saw Gary flinch at the mention of Rhapsody in Blue. She wondered what painful memories the tune held for Gary. Maybe the song reminded him of his ex-wife.

Jennifer quickly changed her request. "Or, better yet, "The Man I Love?"

Both Gary and Jennifer blushed slightly at the implication of a song that spoke of true love coming along and marriage.

"Would you like to dance?" Gary offered.

"Yes, I would."

Soon Jennifer and Gary were on the dance floor lost in the music and their feelings for each other. Neither could deny that the initial attraction they felt for the other had ripened into something deeper.

It's time to open up your heart to love and new beginnings.

The waiter's polite cough alerted Gary and Jennifer that their dinner was on the table. The music had ended even though they were still dancing. It seemed like their hearts had continued the song, which only they could hear.

Gary escorted Jennifer back to the table. A feast awaited them- chicken and veal marsala, spaghetti, lasagna, linguini, and ravioli. Gary wasn't sure what dishes Jennifer liked so he had asked the kitchen staff to prepare an assortment.

"You like it?"

"Of course. Every thing looks and smells so great. I'm going to have to move into the gym after eating all this. If I get fired for gaining too much weight, it will be your fault, Gary Hobson. Then you'll have to take care of me."

"Gladly. I mean, I'm sure that you won't get fired." Calm down Hobson. You don't want to scare her off, do you? The inner voice cautioned.

Calm down, Metcalf. You don't want to scare him off, do you? Jennifer's inner voice warned.

Both Gary and Jennifer smiled. They spent the next few hours eating, talking, laughing. and dancing.

Jennifer had never felt this happy in her entire life. At this moment, she knew that Gary was the man with whom she wanted to spend the rest of her life.

For Gary Hobson, this night had exceeded his wildest dreams. His heart knew that Jennifer was the woman for him. He had found closure for all his pain. He had opened up his heart to love and new beginnings.

Chapter Fourteen

Each day is a new beginning, a time to bury past regrets and to accentuate the positive of moving closer to one's dreams. Gary Hobson never viewed the day in such hopeful terms. To him, a new day meant a continuation of his life saving mission required by the caretakers of tomorrow's newspaper today. Every morning, he awoke to the grating chorus of a meow and a thump. He rushed out to prevent whatever calamity the paper announced, an under appreciated hero who often experienced the ingratitude of humanity. Only the daily dose of Marissa's optimism fueled his weary spirit. But when he went to bed, he dreaded the next day because it was merely a repeat of the previous one with more lives to save. A new day was not something he looked forward to, but something he had to do. All that changed last night with Jennifer. For the first time in a very long time, Gary looked forward to a new day.

A boyish smile appeared on Gary's face. His mind traveled to last night. He recalled how wonderful it felt to hold Jennifer as they danced. And they talked, sharing little details about their lives. Gary learned that Jennifer's birthday was September 19th, two days after his birthday. Since his divorce and receiving the paper, birthdays held little charm for him. They were just another day. He hated whenever his parents decided to celebrate his birthday with a surprise party. Now just thinking about Jennifer's birthday made him happy. September was many months away, yet Gary was already making plans.

A tender kiss had ended a perfect evening. Gary had wanted to kiss Jennifer very badly, but he didn't want to make her uncomfortable by assuming that she wanted to be kissed. Jennifer, it seemed, had sensed his anxiety. "Aren't you going to kiss me good night?" She asked as he walked her towards the door. A loving, parting gaze soon transformed into a tender kiss. "I'll see you tomorrow." Jennifer promised as she got into the limo. "Tomorrow." Gary agreed as he watched the limo drive away, his heart skipping a beat.

"Meow." Thump.

Tomorrow was here.

Already awake, Gary walked towards the front door, happiness characterizing his steps. Such contentment was a far cry from the usual crankiness in which he approached the door.

"Hey, Buddy. How are you doing this morning?" Gary asked, picking up the cat. He scratched the cat's fur.

The cat eyed Gary. The expression on the cat's face seemed to say, "What's gotten into you?" The cat was used to Gary's usual grumpy demeanor complaining about the paper's early arrival.

Gary put the cat down. The cat immediately ran into Gary's apartment and jumped onto the couch as if it were awaiting Gary's reaction. No reaction. Gary smiled at the cat, bent over to pick up the paper, and closed the door.

"You hungry? How about some tuna?" Gary proceeded to the kitchen. He removed a can of tuna from the cabinet, opened the can, and placed it on the table. The cat left the couch and bounced onto the table to eat the tuna.

"My date was great last night, better than I ever hoped." Gary volunteered.

"Meow." The cat looked up at Gary, licked its lips, and continued devouring the tuna.

"Let's see what we have today," Gary said opening the paper, "Mechanic Crushed. Mechanic….garage on Lake Shore….3:00 p.m. Okay, plenty of time." Gary mumbled as he skimmed the story. "Collision on Wabash. Faulty traffic light. Good, no injuries just damage to the cars. 11:00 a.m. Fight On El Injures Two. Fight over….the choice of music? What a stupid thing to fight over. 5:00 p.m."

The mechanic and subway stories were priorities because of the injuries. The collision on Wabash, because of the property damage didn't worry him as much. Three stories- 11:00, 3:00, and 5:00. There was nothing else in the paper requiring his attention.

Gary decided to stop by the studio between his saves and surprise Jennifer with a picnic lunch. Hopefully, her work schedule would permit this surprise. Funny how the thought of something as simple as a picnic lunch filled him with great pleasure.

Marissa was seated at one of the tables when Gary entered the bar. He was singing "You Made Me Love You," a Judy Garland tune which he sang terribly off key and "adjusted" the lyrics in certain places so they would fit Jennifer. His lack of singing talent didn't matter. He was a man in love.

"Good morning, Marissa."

"Good morning, Gary. Yesterday you were whistling and today you are singing. I think that I'm going to like the new Gary Hobson."

"And what was wrong with the old Gary Hobson?"

"Nothing. It is just so wonderful seeing you so happy. I take it that your date went well last night?" Marissa probed.

Gary smiled. "Better than I could have imagined. We talked. She is so easy to talk to, Marissa. I felt like I could share anything with her. And we danced. It was magical. Marissa," Gary paused before continuing, "I think that I am in love with her." Gary allowed the words to slip cautiously off of his tongue as if he were testing to see how they sounded.

"I knew that." Marissa replied.

"You did?"

"Of course I did. I could see it the first time you started talking about her."

"Howzat?"

"Gary, sometimes blind people are able to see things more clearly because we look with our hearts. I was hoping that you would learn to see this way."

Gary smiled. Marissa was right. His vision had been clouded by his feelings for Ginger. Once he permitted himself to let go of a ghost, his heart saw its destiny- Jennifer. Perhaps she had always been there for him, but the paper was waiting until he was ready to receive her emotionally.

"By the way, Jennifer called this morning." Marissa announced.

"She did?" Gary's face lit up brighter than a kid on Christmas morning.

"She wanted to find out if you were free for lunch. I didn't want to tell her anything because I wasn't sure what the paper had planned for you today." Marissa said.

"Actually, it isn't too bad. I have a collision on Wabash at 11:00, but it's just damage to the cars, no injuries. Then I have to prevent a mechanic from being crushed at a garage on Lake Shore at 3:00. At 5:00, I have to stop a fight on the El because one kid didn't like the music the other kid was playing." Gary summarized. "I was thinking about stopping by the studio and surprising Jennifer with a picnic lunch between these saves."

"That sounds like a good idea. I'm sure she'll like that." Marissa replied. Suddenly, Marissa's tone turned serious. "Gary, when are you going to tell her about the paper and what happened between you and her grandparents?"

"I don't know. It's too soon. I want to spend more time with her and then I can gently break the news." Gary replied, rubbing his hand across the back of his neck.

"You can't keep something like this secret from her, Gary. If you want to have a strong relationship with her, it has to be built on trust and honesty."

"I know." Gary agreed. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I need to call Jennifer." Gary said before disappearing to the office.

Marissa nodded. But she was worried. She knew that Gary was a procrastinator. The numerous unpaid parking tickets on the McGinty's van were proof of that.

Unfortunately, Gary would discover that keeping secrets would have far reaching consequences.

Chapter Fifteen

Picnic basket in hand, Gary walked towards the studio. He had easily prevented the collision on Wabash so now he had time before his next save. It was nearly noon. Jennifer told him that she didn't have to be back on the set until 2:30.

The Chicago streets seemed different as he soaked in the sights and sounds. Somehow he felt as if he were seeing things for the first time. Or, maybe he was taking the time to absorb the little things. A guy who gets tomorrow's newspaper today and has to take it one disaster at a time usually doesn't walk leisurely down the street. Today he did.

Gary smiled. Jennifer seemed excited when he told her that he had a lunch surprise. A picnic lunch in the park would be perfect. Against the backdrop of the Chicago sky, they could revel in the pleasure of each other's company.

Yet, Marissa's words nagged at his peace of mind. "When are you going to tell her about the paper and what happened between you and her grandparents? You can't keep something like this a secret from her, Gary. If you want to have a strong relationship with her, it has to be built on trust and honesty."

Trust and honesty. Gary wanted his and Jennifer's relationship to have a solid foundation. But he was scared. What if knowing the truth pushed Jennifer away? No, he couldn't risk that. Not now. He needed more time. Once he and Jennifer spent more time together, he would tell her everything.

Gary walked inside the studio. After telling the security guard that he was there to see Jennifer Metcalf, he was directed to the waiting area. Instead, he stood against a wall not too far from the closed doors on the set.

Fifteen minutes later, Jennifer and Adam emerged from the set. They were laughing. Once again, Adam's arm was wrapped around Jennifer's waist.

Gary's blood boiled at this sight. He knew that he was being irrational, but his emotions couldn't be quelled. His first instinct was to walk over and forcibly remove Adam's arm from around Jennifer. Fortunately, common sense prevailed over the Hobson temper. Besides, Gary knew that Jennifer would not have appreciated such a display of male ego.

"I thought that scene was never going to work. But with a great acting partner like you, I should have known that you would have pulled it together." Adam complimented Jennifer. He planted a kiss on her cheek.

Can't that guy keep his lips to himself? Gary seethed.

Jennifer saw Gary standing against the wall. "Hi Gary. Adam, this is Gary. Gary, this is Adam."

"Gary, nice to meet you. Jennifer has told me a lot about you." Adam said, shaking Gary's hand.

"Funny, she hasn't told me anything about you." Gary replied, his eyes fixed on Jennifer.

Jennifer tried to suppress a laugh. The green-eyed monster had taken hold of Gary. Jennifer found his jealousy amusing. With a wicked gleam and inherited Metcalf humor, Jennifer decided that some playful teasing was in order.

"Gary, didn't I tell you that Adam is my lover?"

"He's your what!"

"He's my love interest on the show." Jennifer corrected.

Gary noticed that Jennifer looked as if she was about to laugh. Clearly, she sensed his jealousy and thought that he deserved to be put in his place. Still, Gary didn't like the idea of Adam and Jennifer "involved" even if it were just acting.

A silence.

"Are you married Adam?" Gary asked.

"No, I'm single. It is hard maintaining a relationship when you're in this business." Adam said.

Gary hadn't thought about that. How would Jennifer's career affect their relationship?

You're worrying about an acting career when you get tomorrow's newspaper today? How do you think Jennifer will feel with you always running out to save the day? The inner voice challenged.

Just then Megan came from the set. "Hi again, cutie." Megan said, flirting with Gary.

Now it was Jennifer's turn to be jealous.

Gary saw Jennifer's reaction to Megan's greeting. Turnabout was fair play.

"Hi." Gary said, smiling. "It's good to see you again, too." Gary enunciated each word as if Megan were a long lost friend with whom he was happy to be reunited. "I didn't catch your name."

"Megan Connor." Megan moved closer to Gary. She offered him her hand to kiss. "And you are?"

"His name is Gary Hobson." Jennifer said, leaving Adam's side and walking over to where Gary and Megan were standing. She removed Megan's hand from Gary's grasp.

"Megan, you ready?" Adam asked.

"Yes." Megan replied.

"Do you guys want to join us for lunch?" Adam invited.

"No, thanks. We already have plans." Gary quickly answered.

"Okay. Well, it was nice meeting you Gary. I'll see you later, Jennifer." Adam said.

"Yes, it was very nice meeting you, Gary." Megan added, winking at Gary.

"You, too." Gary said smiling.

Megan and Adam left the studio.

"Is that my lunch surprise?" Jennifer asked, gesturing at the picnic basket.

"Yes. I thought that a picnic lunch in the park would be nice." Gary responded.

"That sounds great. Thank you." Jennifer responded.

As Gary and Jennifer walked down the street, Jennifer noticed that Gary was unusually quiet. Glancing over at him, she saw that he looked pensive.

"What's wrong?" Jennifer asked.

"Nothing." Gary replied. "I guess that you and Adam enjoy working together."

"Yes. Our scenes seem to work which is a good thing since we are supposed to be in love on the show."

A silence.

"Sometimes when actors work that closely together and both of them are single, feelings can develop. I mean, you hear about it all the time." Gary said.

So that was it. Gary was worried that she might have feelings for Adam. And what had she done? She made a joke about Adam being her lover. True, she had done so just to tease Gary about his obvious jealousy. But she was insensitive. Marissa had told her how often Gary's heart had been broken. How could she have made it appear that she was interested in Adam? Nice going, Metcalf!

Jennifer really had inherited the Szabo-Metcalf genes. Her physical appearance and spunkiness was pure Ginger. And like Jeff, she had the tendency to open her mouth and say things without first examining the effect her words would have on other people. Her heart was in the right place. It was her foot that was in her mouth. She never meant to hurt Gary.

Jennifer placed her hand into Gary's. Gary turned around and faced her. "Gary, Adam and I are just friends. I'm sorry if I made you think otherwise. I was just teasing you. You looked so adorable when you were jealous."

"That's okay." Gary whispered.

"This business can be so lonely." Jennifer continued. "Adam and I became friends because we have similar backgrounds with parents who don't approve of our chosen profession. Adam's family owns a horse breeding farm in Billings, Montana. They expected him to take over the business not become an actor. Adam worries about disappointing his family. But he also can't give up acting. It's in his blood, just like it's in my blood. We've spent hours talking about everything from our love of acting to our love of horses."

"You love horses?" Gary asked.

"Yes. I adore them. There's something about them. I mean, an animal that can weigh as much as 1600 pounds and be so majestic yet gentle. When I ride, I can forget everything. It's like I become a part of the horse." Jennifer beamed.

Gary smiled. He would have to take Jennifer horse back riding. Not that he was an expert rider, but he had learned to ride a few years ago. Actually, his riding came in handy during one of his saves. Gary remembered accident-prone librarian Abigail who would have been speared from a juggling act gone awry had he not been able to "borrow" a horse and ride to her rescue just in time. Unfortunately, Abigail then saw him as her Romeo and assumed that she loved him and they were meant to be together. Thank God that he was finally able to convince her to get her head out of her romance books and was able to end her fantasy about him.

Gary and Jennifer finally reached the park. Because the park was conveniently located across the street from the courthouse, law students and lawyers sometimes viewed it as a haven to unwind from the stresses of the law. College students also studied in the park. Families brought their children there to play. Couples spent romantic moments in the park.

Gary selected a quiet place away from the already assembled crowd. He spread the yellow blanket onto the grass.

Why yellow? Interesting how you selected yellow. That's Ginger's favorite color, isn't it? The inner voice insinuated.

It's just a blanket. The color means nothing. Gary defended.

Gary opened the picnic basket and removed the food- ham sandwiches, cheese, fruit, bread, and a chocolate cake. He also removed a bottle of wine. He hesitated before uncorking the bottle.

"Do you think that it will be okay for you to drink? I mean, you do have to go back to the studio?" Gary asked.

"I won't tell if you won't. Besides, one glass shouldn't hurt." Jennifer said.

Gary smiled. He uncorked the bottle and poured two glasses.

"Let me make the toast, Gary."

Gary nodded.

"To fate." Jennifer said.

"Do you believe in fate? I mean, if your friend hadn't been busy that day and you hadn't come to the studio in time to save me from those falling lights, we would have never met. It was fate." Jennifer said.

Nope, it was tomorrow's newspaper today, Gary's inner voice interjected.

"Fate, yeah, sure." Gary replied.

Suddenly, Jennifer's tone became serious. "Gary, I haven't been totally honest with you. You are a wonderful man. Last night, well, I'll never forget it."

Gary swallowed hard. Oh boy, here it comes. He was about to be dumped. He had heard that speech so many times he had it memorized. He knew that things were too good to be true. Why had he expected things to be any different with Jennifer than they had been with other women in his life? Gary braced himself for the worst.

"Remember when I told you about my grandfather? Granddad….well…Granddad is the best. He has always been there for me. He always told me that he would be my number one fan." Jennifer said softly. "You and he are so much alike. You are both kind and caring men. But there's something more. Gary, you have to know how much I care for you. I connected with you. I hope that after what I show you, you will still believe me when I tell you that what we have, what I hope we can have, is about us and no one else."

Jennifer opened up her purse, removed a locket, and handed it to Gary. "Gary, this is my Granddad."

Gary turned the locket over. Staring back at him was the face of a young Jeff Metcalf, his mirror image.

Chapter Sixteen 

No words came. Gary stared at the locket hypnotized by the picture of Jeff. His silence scared Jennifer. Finally she spoke.

"I know that this is a shock, Gary. I know what you must be thinking. I admit that when I first saw you after you saved me, I was intrigued by your resemblance to my Granddad. But immediately, I saw something else. I saw Gary Hobson. Last night was about Gary Hobson and how he made me feel. I wanted to tell you this because you deserved to know the truth. I care a lot about you and hope that you care about me, too. You have to believe me, Gary. Please."

All Gary could do was stare at the picture of Jeff.

Tell her the truth about the paper and your experiences with her grandparents. She has just opened up the door for you to be honest. Walk through that door, the inner voice encouraged.

I can't, Gary insisted.

Coward, the inner voice berated.

"So this is your grandfather." Gary finally managed to say.

"Yes. Granddad gave me the locket when I was very young. I always loved that picture of him. It's funny, but I don't think that Grandmom even knew about the locket. For some reason, Granddad made me promise not to tell her."

What Jennifer didn't know was that Jeff had given the locket to Sarah after he had fallen in love with her while Hank was away at the war. When Sarah died, Jeff had retrieved the locket from her things before Hank could see it. Jeff would have had a difficult time explaining why his brother's wife had such an intimate keepsake of him. Further, Jeff never told Ginger about his love affair with Sarah.

"Gary, I didn't want you to think that I was with you because you look like my Granddad. I am with you because of who you are." Jennifer reiterated.

Tell her the truth.

I can't

"I know that." Gary said.

"Good. I was so worried, so scared to show you this picture," Jennifer paused before continuing, "You know, my grandparents would really like you."

A panicked expression crossed Gary's face. "You haven't told them about me, have you?" Gary asked, concern evident in his voice.

"No. Not yet. Why?" Jennifer asked.

"Don't tell them."

"Why?"

Gary rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. "It's just that...I mean, they would probably find it weird. You know, the fact that I look like your grandfather when he was a young man. Maybe you should wait awhile."

"Sure." Jennifer said. But she didn't know why Gary was making such a big deal about this or why he seemed so nervous.

Jennifer handed Gary a sandwich. "I love it here. It is so beautiful, so peaceful."

Gary looked around the park at all the people who appeared to be enjoying themselves. The park seemed a million miles away from the pressures of the city.

"Yes, it is peaceful. The view is nice, too." Gary said, his gaze fixed on Jennifer.

Jennifer blushed slightly. "You are a real romantic, Gary Hobson."

"Is that bad?" Gary asked jokingly.

"No, so long as your romance includes me." Jennifer leaned over and kissed Gary tenderly on the lips.

Gary found himself lost in the sensual ecstasy of the kiss. Their lips fit together perfectly like the missing pieces of a puzzle.

Gary and Jennifer spent the next hour eating, talking, laughing, and kissing.

Across the street from the park, Marcia was leaving the courthouse. The deposition had gone well. Marcia expected a substantial recovery for her client. Visions of dollar signs danced in her head. Just as she crossed the street to where her car was parked, she saw Gary with an attractive strawberry blonde. They were sitting on a blanket in the park, kissing. No, it couldn't be Gary, Marcia thought to herself. She looked again challenging her eyes to focus. Yes, it was Gary. And who was that woman with her lips glued to him? Must be the tramp who sent him flowers, Marcia surmised. Gary could be so gullible just because a woman showed him some attention. He must still be devastated over the divorce to take up with a woman like that. Marcia vowed to make a trip to McGinty's sometime today to uncover what was going on. She needed to protect Gary from himself and vultures like that. "There can only be one Mrs. Hobson and that woman was me and will be again." Marcia said as she drove off. She was determined to reclaim what she believed was hers- Gary.

Chapter Seventeen

A hero can not forsake his life saving obligations just because of an impending crisis in his personal life. When Jennifer had shown him the locket with Jeff's picture and told him that she was with him because of who he was and not because of his resemblance to her grandfather, Gary knew that he should have told her the truth. She had been brutally honest despite her fear that he wouldn't believe her. Gary knew that he owed her the same honesty. But his fear had consumed him and he said nothing. Subsequently, Jennifer had to returned to the studio after their lunch. He wanted to rush straight to McGinty's to update Marissa on the situation and to ask her advice. But he still had lives to save.

It had been easy preventing the accident on Lake Shore. The mechanic wasn't even aware that he had entered the garage. The mechanic was underneath a car when the jack was about to slip. Gary quickly replaced jack and left the garage undetected.

However, stopping the subway fight was another matter. Gary's response to the situation almost caused him to be beaten. He had easily found the teenagers already embroiled in an argument over which music was better. Both teenagers blasted their radios on the subway right underneath the sign that required no loud music. The one teenager was playing rap music with offensive lyrics. The other teenager was playing music that was a pathetic mixture of jazz, blues and country music. Gary approached the feuding youngsters and told them that their difference in musical tastes was no reason to start a fight. Further, he added that since both musical choices were equally bad, it shouldn't matter. Gary advised them to turn off their radios because the loud music violated subway rules. The teenagers didn't take too kindly to his interference. They approached him in a menacing manner intending to teach him a lesson about minding his own business. Gary never considered himself a small man, but next to the beefy adolescents, he felt like a Lilliputian facing Gulliver. Fortunately, the subway doors opened and he was able to get off the train before he could be hurt. Gary checked the paper. A new headline appeared in place of the subway story.

Entering McGinty's, Gary found Marissa seated at one of the tables reviewing invoices.

"Marissa."

Gary's tone worried Marissa. She had heard that same tone in his voice before when Sun-Times columnist Frank Scanlon was hell bent on uncovering skeletons in Gary's closet. Scanlon's investigation left him feeling exposed. Marissa wondered what happened today to change his mood. This morning, he was singing love songs. Tonight, he sounded lost.

"Gary, what's wrong? Did something happen with the paper?"

"No. I saved everyone. All Chicagoans are accounted for."

"Is it Jennifer? Gary?"

"Let's talk in the office." Gary suggested. Marissa nodded. She and Gary proceeded to the office. Gary closed the door. Marissa sat at the desk. Gary nervously paced the floor.

"What happened with Jennifer?" Marissa asked.

Gary stopped pacing. He took a few deep breaths before speaking. "Every thing was going so well. Jennifer and I, we were really enjoying the park, enjoying each other's company. But then, then she became really serious. I thought that she was planning to dump me. Instead, she pulled out a locket with a picture of Jeff. She handed me the locket. She said that she cared about me for me and not because I look like her grandfather as a young man. She said that she felt that I deserved to know the truth."

"And did you tell her the truth?"

A silence.

"Gary?"

"I couldn't Marissa. I couldn't risk losing her." Gary said, staring at the floor.

Marissa rose from her seat and walked over to where Gary was standing. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Gary looked up at her, his eyes frightened and child like.

"You owe Jennifer the truth. She trusted you enough to be completely honest with you regardless of the consequences."

"And what do I say Marissa? Jennifer, every morning for nearly five years, tomorrow's newspaper today comes with a cat. I read the headlines and then rush out saving lives. The headlines disappear once I am able to save a life. Only one morning, I rushed to the Sun-Times building to prevent an archivist from being injured in a fire. The archivist pulled out a box with newspaper clippings about her grandfather's career. I saw a book about the Cleveland Indians on a top shelf and because I was curious what her grandfather looked like, I stood on a table trying to get the book. Only I slipped, fell, hit my head and woke up in 1946. I met her grandfather. He got sent to the future while I got stuck in the past. And to top things off, while I was pretending to be her grandfather, I ended up falling in love with her grandmother whom she looks exactly like. What do you think Marissa? If you were Jennifer, would you still want to be with a guy like me after hearing that story?" Gary said sarcastically.

"It's the truth, Gary. Except that you fell for Jennifer because of who she is not because of her resemblance to Ginger." Marissa reminded.

"The truth. Either I look like a lunatic and she doesn't believe the story. Or, she does believe it, but not the part about me caring about her because of who she is. What if she thinks that I am with her because of some sick desire to recreate Ginger?"

"It doesn't have to be like that, Gary. You're not trusting Jennifer nor her feelings for you."

"I need more time." Gary insisted.

"Do you really want a relationship like that? Worrying every time you're together if the other shoe will drop?" A thought occurred to Marissa. "And what if she tells Jeff and Ginger about you?"

"I asked her not to. I told her that her grandparents might think that it was weird given my resemblance to her grandfather. I told her that she should wait awhile before telling them." Gary explained.

"It's wrong lying to her. You're playing with fire, Gary."

"I need more time." Gary reiterated.

A knock on the door ended Gary and Marissa's conversation.

"Am I interrupting?" Marcia asked, standing in the doorway.

"Gary, we'll finish our discussion later." Marissa said before leaving.

"What are you doing here, Marcia?" Gary demanded.

Marcia entered the office leaving the door ajar.

Gary eyed her suspiciously.

"Well? What are you doing here?" Gary repeated.

"I stopped by to bring your copy of the trust papers."

"You couldn't just mail them?" Gary inquired.

"I guess that I could, but I also wanted to bring these." Marcia opened her purse, removed some pictures, and handed them to Gary. "Remember?"

Gary took the photos. They were pictures from their honeymoon in Antigua. The smiling faces seemed like strangers to Gary, not he and Marcia. There was a picture of he and Marcia standing in front of the hotel, Marcia sitting in the lobby in front of a palm tree, he and Marcia on the beach, Gary in snorkeling gear, Marcia on water skis, Gary and Marcia sailing.

"I never imagined that you would get me on those water skis." Marcia said upon noticing Gary staring at the picture.

"Yeah, I remember how afraid you were, but I told you that it would be fun." Gary remembered.

"And what about that boat? I thought that we would never catch a wind." Marcia said.

"I told you that I knew what I was doing." Gary added.

"Oh, is that why we almost got stranded in the middle of nowhere?" Marcia asked.

"Hey, I got us back to land, didn't I?" Gary defended.

"Sure, four hours later." Marcia reminded, smiling.

"As I recall, I wasn't the one who accidentally tossed our supplies overboard." Gary said, laughing.

Marcia could see that Gary was getting caught up in the memories.

"That was a wonderful time in our lives. We were so young, so in love. What happened to us, Gary?"

"You tell me. You were the one who dumped me because you decided that I wasn't good enough for you." Gary said bitterly.

A silence.

"Do you remember Kathleen and John Thomson?" Marcia asked.

"No." Gary responded.

"Sure you do. I went to law school with them. Every one was surprised when they got married because they acted like they hated each other. Well, I heard that they are going to have a baby." Marcia said.

"A baby. That's great." Marcia saw Gary's features soften at the mention of a baby.

" I guess that goes to show you that regardless of how things look, people who are meant to be together always end up together." Marcia said looking into Gary's eyes.

"Oh, Gary, I forgot to… I'm sorry, I didn't know that you had company. am I interrupting?" Jennifer asked as she came into the office.

Oh Boy.

What is that tramp doing here? Marcia thought to herself.

So this is Gary's ex-wife, Jennifer thought to herself. Not too impressive. Marissa had told Jennifer that Gary was in the office talking to Marcia and suggested that Jennifer interrupt because Gary probably needed rescuing.

Marcia and Jennifer glared at each other. Both women were like hungry lions competing for a recently killed deer.

Gary was the deer.

"I'm Marcia Roberts-Hobson, Gary's wife."

"Ex-wife." Gary quickly corrected.

"I'm Jennifer Szabo Metcalf, Gary's current girlfriend."

Marcia seethed.

Gary tried to suppress a laugh. He never expected Jennifer to say that, but her words had definitely put Marcia in her place.

"Gary, honey, I wanted to thank you again for last night. You were wonderful." Jennifer said seductively before kissing Gary on the lips. Jennifer and Gary knew that they just had a romantic dinner. But Jennifer hoped that Marcia would draw the wrong conclusion by this statement and believe that something more happened.

"You're welcome." Gary said blushing.

"Well, I should be going. I'll talk to you soon, Gary." Marcia said walking towards the door.

"Nice meeting you, Molly." Jennifer added, ramming the knife further into Marcia's angry body.

Marcia gave Jennifer one last icy stare before leaving. She slammed the door behind her.

Gary laughed. "You're amazing. I've never seen Marcia so speechless."

"Marissa thought that you might need help." Jennifer said. "You know one thing that I always felt about lawyers is that they are just a breed of highly educated actors."

"Howzat?"

"They like to play mind games. Say one thing, but be thinking something else. Intimidate people. I just decided to beat her at her own game." Jennifer explained.

Gary smiled at the beautiful woman in front of him. What had he done to deserve her?

Tell her the truth, the inner voice pleaded.

Gary swallowed hard. "Jennifer, I have something I need to tell you." Gary said.

Chapter Eighteen

Tell her the truth.

I can't.

You have to.

What if I lose her?

She deserves to know the truth.

I love her.

Tell her the truth. It's your only chance at a future with her.

Gary was waging a fierce internal struggle with his conscious and he was losing. Like Marissa, the inner voice urged him be honest with Jennifer.

Gary rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. God, this was so hard. Maybe the truth is overrated, he wryly thought.

Jennifer watched Gary intently. In the short time she had known him, she learned to read his body language. He always seemed to rub his hand across the back of his neck whenever he was nervous. But why was he so nervous now? What did he have to tell her that was making him suffer so much?

Jennifer cupped her hands over Gary's and smiled at him reassuringly. "You know that you can tell me anything, Gary." Jennifer said softly.

Tell her the truth.

Gary took a deep breath. "Jennifer, this is so hard to say. I hope that you will understand. Jennifer, I….."

No, I can't do this. I can't. Not now. It's too soon.

"Gary, you are scaring me. What is it?"

"Jennifer, I hope that you know how much a care about you. I never expected to find someone like you. I guess, I never expected to care about anyone this much ever again after….," Gary paused before continuing. He wasn't going to let Jennifer know about Ginger, "….Marcia. I mean, I don't exactly have the best track record with woman. Anyway, I don't want to lose you."

Jennifer smiled. "You won't lose me."

"Did you really mean what you said, you know about being my girlfriend? Or, did you just say that to make Marcia angry?" Gary asked.

"Yes, I meant it. That is, if you want me to be." Jennifer replied.

"More than anything." Gary added.

Gary knew that Jennifer was waiting for him to continue what he was saying.

"Anyway, there's this woman, Virginia. She's really pushy. I had lunch with her recently. Not that I wanted to or anything. We sort of bumped into each other. I know her children. Great kids. They like me and I like them. Well, she invited me over to her house for dinner. She says that the kids keep asking about me. I really don't want to go over there alone. I wouldn't feel comfortable around her. But I also don't want to disappoint the kids. And I didn't want you to think that I was seeing another woman. I know that this is asking a lot, but would you go over there with me?" Gary asked.

Okay, so he hadn't told Jennifer the truth about the paper, his experiences with Jeff and Ginger, or even about knowing Virginia's children. But he was honest with her about not wanting to spend time with Virginia. Gary remembered that Megan had told him Jennifer had seen him having lunch with Virginia. He wanted Jennifer to know that he had no interest in the woman.

He really is such an honest man, Jennifer thought to herself.

"Gary, I have a confession to make. By accident, Adam, Megan, and I were having lunch at the Hilton and I saw you with that woman. I saw how uncomfortable she made you. You are a wonderful man to want to spend time with her children even if it means dealing with her. So, of course, I'll go over to her house with you."

"Thank you."

"I also want you to know that you never have to be afraid to tell me anything. I'm not Marcia. I'm not like any other woman you have known who has hurt you. I want our relationship to be built on trust and honesty." Jennifer said.

Trust and honesty. For God sake Hobson, tell her the truth!

I can't. It's too soon.

"The reason I came over here tonight is because I wanted to invite you over to my place for a home cooked meal. I know it is short notice, but I hope that you don't have any other plans."

"No, I don't have any other plans." Gary confirmed.

"Good." Jennifer looked at her watch. "It's almost 6:00. Could you come by about 8:00?"

"8:00."

"I'll see you in a little while." Jennifer kissed Gary on the lips before leaving.

Gary sat back down on the chair, tormented by his thoughts. Would Jennifer ever be able to forgive him for keeping secrets?

Tell her the truth. Tonight at dinner. You have to.

With a heavy heart, Gary rose from the chair and left the office. He climbed the steps to his loft. Gary wished that he had a newspaper that would tell him how Jennifer would react to knowing the truth.

For a guy who gets tomorrow's newspaper today, the one time he wanted to know the future, the gods were silent.


End file.
